‘Solar suitcases’ bring safe lighting to more than 10,000 clinics across sub-Saharan Africa » Yale Climate Connections

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In many rural areas of sub-Saharan Africa, mothers give birth in health care centers that lack reliable electricity.

So midwives and doctors often deliver babies in near darkness.

Muhwezi: “They’re operating using kerosene lamps, they’re operating with dim light, which provides a very insignificant support to be able to deliver very good health services to mothers and newborns.”

Dr. Ambrose Katungi Muhwezi of the nonprofit We Care Solar says without light, providers may be unable to provide safe C-sections or blood transfusions.

So in difficult deliveries, women may need to move to more distant clinics, which causes life-threatening delays and is expensive.

Muhwezi: “And this ends up creating catastrophic health expenditures for their communities, affecting the overall economic status of the family.”

So to help, We Care Solar has installed off-grid solar electric systems called solar suitcases in more than 10,000 clinics across Africa and beyond.

Each system uses a rooftop solar panel to provide power to a kit with medical lights, a fetal monitor, and charging ports for headlamps and other devices.

So clean energy is helping mothers and babies survive and thrive.

Reporting credit: Sarah Kennedy / ChavoBart Digital Media