UK Campaign: $100 Million for Clean Energy in Global South Hospitals

London, Dec 17 (PTI) Health experts in the UK have launched a worldwide campaign to raise USD 100 million to equip 100 hospitals across India and the Global South with secure, clean energy to help them maintain vital health services.

The 100-4-100 Project was launched on Monday by the UK's National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Global Health Research Unit on Global Surgery at the University of Birmingham during a conference.

The project aims to install solar power at 100 hospitals in remote areas in Benin, Ghana, India, Mexico, Nigeria, Rwanda, and South Africa.

"Hospitals in the Global South often experience dangerous power failures, with 88 per cent losing power at least four hours a week on average," the University of Birmingham said in a press release.

The project seeks to equip 100 hospitals in remote areas across these seven countries with comprehensive strategies for secure, clean energy - including plans for solar panels, batteries for energy storage, and LED lighting.

Professor of Global Surgery at the University of Birmingham Aneel Bhangu said, “Electricity is vital for healthcare, but power losses are frequent in the Global South. All too often, these dangerous power failures leave hospitals unable to help patients in need."

“Reliable electricity will save lives, and clean energy will help save the environment. We are seeking USD 100 million to implement and evaluate on-site clean energy strategies for 100 major hospitals across the Global South – allowing staff to operate safely, preventing avoidable deaths,” he said.

Following the launch, the NIHR Global Surgery Unit plans to conduct two pilot schemes in India and Nigeria, providing solar power to operating theatres in two hospitals, before rolling the scheme out to 100 hospitals.

"Chinchpada Christian Hospital, India, is hit by daily power cuts of up to nine hours – forcing the use of costly, inefficient, and polluting diesel generators," the press release said.

The initiative aligns with global efforts to promote environmentally sustainable practices in healthcare, reducing reliance on unreliable power grids and lowering carbon emissions. It leverages the expertise of a community of 50,000 surgical team members across 120 countries, combining local leadership with innovative solutions to transform surgical care, said the press release.