The United States Agency for International Development (USAID), which leads the Power Africa initiative, is providing SolarWorks! Mozambique a grant to install solar photovoltaic systems in 92 health centres in the Mozambican province of Sofala.
Located in east-central Mozambique, Sofala Province was selected to receive a grant from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). The grant, worth $320,000, will fund the installation of solar photovoltaic systems in 92 health centres in the province. SolarWorks! Mozambique has been selected to carry out the work. In all the clinics selected to benefit from this Power Africa grant, the solar energy provider will install 55.2 kWp of capacity.
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According to Power Africa, this electricity will be used for lighting, charging mobile phones, powering hoovers, gynaecological examination lights, microscopes, and computer equipment. SolarWorks! will also install battery storage systems with a total capacity of 220.8 kWh. “This means, for example, that if a woman goes into labour at night, the doctor attending her will have the light and equipment to help her give birth safely. Powering laptops, printers and the Internet will also make it easier to collect and share medical data,” says the US Embassy in Maputo.
Over 138,000 beneficiaries
According to the same source, effective health services and responses to diseases, including Covid-19, depend on reliable access to electricity. Health care facilities need it to power essential medical and sterilisation equipment, refrigerate medicines and vaccines, coordinate care and share information with other health professionals. Yet in Sofala province, 90% of health centres do not have regular access to electricity. Solar energy will directly benefit 138,000 people served by the 92 clinics.
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The installation of its solar energy systems is part of Power Africa. The initiative launched in 2013 by the Obama administration aims to fund 30,000 MW of installed capacity to provide access to electricity for more than 60 million Africans by 2030. To date, Power Africa has financed 12,000 MW of installed capacity, providing electricity to 20 million people, according to its manager USAID.
Jean Marie Takouleu
