Zimbabwe installs solar power in health facilities to end blackouts

The United Nations Development Fund and the Global Fund partnered with the government of Zimbabwe to launch a solar-for-health program in 2015.

This initiative provides reliable electricity to medical centers to combat frequent power outages caused by drought and limited hydroelectricity. The program has already equipped over 1,263 health facilities and medical warehouses with solar energy systems as of August 2024. These installations power maternity wards, vaccine cold chains, and emergency operating rooms.

At Budiriro Polyclinic in Harare, the solar power ensures that critical medicines remain refrigerated and that nurses can monitor patients without relying on candles or noisy diesel generators. In 2024, the UNDP donated a 450 kWp solar system to the Ministry of Health and Child Care and the National Pharmaceutical Company to protect drugs from power failures. Other major sites, including Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals and United Bulawayo Hospitals, have also received large solar plants.

These systems reduce operational costs by decreasing the need for diesel fuel and provide a stable environment for patients and healthcare workers.