At least 1 044 health facilities nationwide have been equipped with solar units, achieving a cumulative capacity of 11 megawatts under the Solar for Health (SH4F) initiative, Health and Child Care Minister Dr Douglas Mombeshora has said.
Speaking after commissioning a 450kW solar power unit for NatPharm's Harare warehouse yesterday, Dr Mombeshora said the country had made significant strides in shifting towards renewable energy.
The units, which are being funded by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) through the Global Fund will allow patients to receive timely care without the uncertainty caused by electricity shortages while excess energy will be fed into the national grid.
"Our collaborative journey in this initiative began in 2016, and since then, we have successfully installed solar units in 1 044 health facilities, achieving a cumulative capacity of 11 megawatts," Dr Mombeshora said.
"This monumental investment has transformed these facilities into self-sufficient entities, particularly in critical areas such as maternity, laboratory services, pharmacy, and health information systems."
With reliable solar energy, Dr Mombeshora said health facilities can maintain continuous operations, ensuring that essential services are available, even during power outages.
"Facilities have faced challenges in maintaining essential services such as laboratory testing, medication storage, and patient monitoring.
"This has unfortunately led to increased risks for patients and reduced overall effectiveness of our healthcare delivery. The Solar for Health initiative directly addresses these challenges."
The NatPharm solar unit is expected to yield substantial annual savings of US$150 000 in electricity costs and feed excess energy into the national grid.
"I am particularly proud to share that this solar system can generate approximately 450 kW, sufficient to meet the warehouse's power requirements and even feed excess energy back into the national grid.
"This advancement aligns perfectly with our vision of fostering resilient and sustainable health systems for our future."
Since 2003, the Global Fund has allocated over US$3 billion to Zimbabwe, complementing Government efforts in the fight against AIDS, TB, and malaria. Global Fund head of High Impact Africa 2, Mr Linden Morrison said more than 60 percent of Zimbabwe's facilities had been installed with solar systems.
"This solar infrastructure supports laboratories, cold chain and the storage of health products, ensuring that they are kept under the best conditions for high-quality service to patients.
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"Zimbabwe's Solar for Health initiative aligns fully well with the Global Fund strategy, which seeks to address the impact of climate change on health systems."
UNDP resident representative, Dr Ayodele Odusola said: "The Solar for Health (S4H) project in Zimbabwe started in 2016 as a response to the frequent electricity blackouts that were occurring in the country.
"The blackouts were affecting the provision of quality health services at most of the public institutions as they lasted the better part of the day.
"To address this, UNDP, in partnership with the MOHCC secured funding from the Global Fund to install solar systems at public health institutions to consolidate and strengthen the fight against three diseases: (HIV & AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria) and health systems strengthening."
The UNDP through the Global Fund has been installing solar systems in over 1 000 clinics, pharmacies, warehouses, cold rooms, laboratories and other health facilities across the country under the ongoing Solar for Health (SH4F) initiative.
The move is meant to ensure reliable energy supply to critical health facilities, with improved lighting and temperature control of vaccines.
Natpharm board chairperson Ms Ruth Kaseke hailed the UNDP and Global Fund for installing the solar unit, urging other organisations to take a leaf from them and invest in the country's health sector.
