Powering Healthcare Impact Factsheet

Energy access and health are connected in many ways, but COVID-19 has emphasized the importance of energy specifically in the ability to provide quality healthcare. While electricity is recognized as a prerequisite for health services, it can be difficult to measure the extent of its impact on improved health outcomes. This can be attributed to not only the numerous social, economic, cultural, and physical factors that influence health, but also the critical lack of data on health facilities’ electrification status, needs, and the impact on service delivery.

SEforALL’s new Powering Healthcare Impact Factsheet, supported by Power Africa and the Health and Energy Platform of Action (HEPA), aims to add clarity to this pathway between reliable electrification of health facilities and improved health outcomes by compiling existing research and publications that examine health outcomes through lenses such as: service delivery, maternal care, diagnosis and preventative care, and patient and provider satisfaction. The factsheet further highlights the impact of powering health facilities on the other Sustainable Development Goals and calls for increased activity and investments on research and data availability that can inform policymakers and project implementors.