Strengthening the Supply and Demand for Nutritious, Local, and Agro- Ecologically-Produced Foods in Secondary Cities in Bangladesh, Kenya, and Rwanda: A First Impression to Understand the Context

*Table 1. Exclusive breastfeeding during the first 6 months of life, low birth weight and anaemia prevalence in pregnant women.*


*Figure 1. Child stunting and adult overweight in the 6 NICE focal cities in Bangladesh, Kenya, and Rwanda.*

#### Methods

	- Household Food Insecurity Access Score;
	- Minimum Dietary Diversity Scores for Women;
	- Socioeconomic information;
	- Consumer behaviour;
	- Food production decisions;
	- Anthropometrics (stunting, wasting, under- and overweight);

## **Solar Energy in Rural Health Facilities: Experiences from the Field, Solafrica**

**Alicia Blair and Flora Conte** Solafrica, Bern, Switzerland

Energy poverty is a major challenge for the social and economic development in sub-Saharan Africa. In offgrid, decentralized health facilities, medical treatment and prevention options are limited without electronic devices. The quality and time available for operations are significantly reduced through the absence or poor quality of light. Health personnel suffer from bad working conditions, which negatively affect health services. Additionally, the use of diesel generators is expensive and an important source of air pollution and CO2. Photovoltaic energy (PV) provides a climate-friendly solution to improve energy access for health centers. However, important factors determine whether PV is functioning as expected. This poster aims to present the solar health projects of the Swiss NGO Solafrica in Cameroon and Burkina Faso and share lessons learned and the impact of introducing PV. Solafrica financially and technically supports local stakeholders to install high-quality and modern PV plants of 1-2kW in rural health centers, covering basic needs for small devices and lighting. In Cameroon, solar direct-drive vaccine refrigerators (SDD) are installed separately from the PV plants. Project implementation focuses on involving all required stakeholders (authorities, community, health personnel, etc.), ensuring after-sales maintenance through local solar service providers, and regular basic maintenance of the PV plants. When possible, remote monitoring devices are used to control power production and SDD temperature. The correct use of PV is explained through regular training. PV plants and SDD are continuously installed in different phases to benefit from lessons learned. In Burkina Faso, a significant increase in the number of patients could be observed after installing PV plants. However, natural conditions, especially dust in the air, are making the maintenance of PV plants more challenging than expected. In Cameroon, the conditions for vaccination were found to be optimized. However, the collaboration with national authorities provided certain limitations, and technical and organizational problems with the SDD were observed in certain cases. Through collaboration and dialogue between different NGOs, authorities, services providers, and health personnel, lessons learned about the use of PV for health can have a positive impact on other related or similar initiatives.

Alicia Blair and Flora Conte

Solafrica, Bern, Switzerland

Energy poverty, among other factors , is a major challenge for the public health sector in sub-Saharan Africa. In remote and off-grid health facilities, medical treatment and prevention are limited without proper access to light and electronic devices. Hence, reliable sources of electricity are expected to increase the quality of health care while also improving the working conditions and safety of health personnel. In rural health centres, access to sufficient light, small electronic devices and refrigerators is crucial. Diesel generators cause high costs that can rarely be sufficiently borne by rural health centres, as well as air pollution and CO2 emissions. This is why photovoltaic energy (PV or solar energy) is considered much more suitable. However, important factors determine whether PV functions as intended.

This poster aims to present the solar health experiences of the Swiss NGO Solafrica.

#### Results

In Burkina Faso, a significant increase in the number of patients could be observed after installing the first PV plants (see table below). However, natural conditions, especially dust in the air, create challenges for their maintenance.

In Cameroon, though for now only qualitative observations have been collected, the conditions for vaccinations were found to be optimised with SDD. Patients can receive vaccines at any time, and the risk of vaccines being exposed to unsuited temperatures is reduced.

Collaboration with national and local authorities is essential for the long-term use of solar devices, but is also linked to some limitations regarding the choice of devices and localities. Additionally, regime changes affect collaboration.

#### Number of patient visits in rural health centres in Burkina Faso, 2020

#### Conclusion

The use of solar energy in off-grid rural health centres in sub-Saharan Africa improves the access to and quality of health care. It also reduces running energy costs and air pollution, as well as CO2 emissions. Several indirect positive effects also result from PV plants. Maintenance and repairs are a challenge due to physical factors such as dust, as well as practical and financial aspects. The latter two require the active participation of local stakeholders and the long-term involvement of authorities. Collaborations can be affected by regime changes, personnel changes or political decisions, and hence sufficient budget needs to be planned accordingly.

#### About us

Solafrica is an independent Swiss non-profit organisation that promotes solarenergy in economically disadvantaged regions, as well as in Switzerland, by awareness-raising, technical training, support in building infrastructure and technical innovation.

More information: www.solafrica.ch

#### Methodology

Solafrica financially and technically supports local stakeholders to install highquality and modern PV plants of 1–2kW in rural health centres, covering basic needs for small devices and lighting in Burkina Faso. Additionally, in Cameroon, solar direct drive vaccine refrigerators (SDD) are installed separately. Project implementation focuses on involving all required stakeholders (authorities, community, health personnel, etc.), ensuring regular basic maintenance of the PV plants on-site and repairs through local solar service providers. Remote monitoring devices are used to control power production and SDD temperature. The correct use of PV is explained through regular trainings. PV plants and SDD are continuously installed in different phases to benefit from lessons learnt.
