Powering Health Fact Sheet: January 2021

A review of 13 health surveys conducted across the region estimates that 26 percent of healthcare facilities have no access to electricity and only 28 percent have access to reliable electricity. This lack of access to electricity poses significant challenges for healthcare workers, who require dependable, long-term power to supply oxygen, maintain perishable supplies, operate standard appliances, and run life-saving medical equipment. The Powering Health initiative provides a guide for healthcare facility owners, operators, and advisors to successfully design, procure, install, and upgrade reliable energy systems. The initiative helps healthcare facilities adjust to an increase in energy load, which can occur when a facility experiences an increase in patients, extends its operating hours, or offers additional services that require new equipment. The addition of unplanned loads to a battery-based system is one of the most common causes of system failure. USAID's Powering Health step-wise approach is a key component of the initiative. This approach involves five steps for planning and implementing improvements: analyzing energy demand and supply, accounting for change, investigating electrification options, designing, procuring, and installing the energy system, and making investments sustainable. The approach recognizes that even the most expensive or well-designed energy system will break down if it is not properly maintained and monitored. The Powering Health initiative contains a variety of tools, reports, and technical information to support the design, maintenance, or upgrade of an energy system for a healthcare facility. These tools include HOMER's Powering Health Tool, which allows users to calculate the size and cost of an energy system for a remote, off-grid healthcare facility using a web browser. The tool includes a library of frequently used healthcare appliances, including their average energy consumption. Other resources include links to applicable technology standards, energy audit guides and templates, load calculation examples, staff training curriculum, and energy service delivery models. The Powering Health initiative is available to national and local government officials, operators, and key decision-makers. For more information, visit https://www.usaid.gov/energy/powering-health.