SEforALL’s Powering Healthcare Programme

This Market Assessment and Roadmap for Health Facilities in Sierra Leone found that 38 percent of health facilities in the country lack access to power. Those that have access to solar PV, community mini-grids, diesel generators, or the main grid also suffer from either insufficient power or unreliable power. As a result, it is estimated that more than 1,000 health facilities need either a complete power solution or a back-up solution, requiring an investment of approximately USD 64 million.

In Sierra Leone, a lack of affordable and reliable electricity access means that social services such as healthcare facilities are unable to power key equipment, leading to poor health outcomes and putting lives at risk. 

The project will electrify six key hospitals in Freetown, Kambia, Masanga, Kabala and Bonthe, with a combined total of more than 0.6 megawatt-peak (MWp) of installed solar PV capacity with battery storage. 

Approximately 40% of functional PHC facilities do not have access to electricity. Furthermore, the remaining 60% still have unreliable access to electricity from any combination of electricity sources.

The short- and medium-term goals of installing 50MW of solar PV systems require investments of USD 525 million, in order to achieve NPHCDA’s overall target of 10,000 functional and electrified PHCs.

Of the 2,139 health facilities in the country, 85 percent (1,813) are connected to the grid. A total of 229 health posts have no access to a reliable and renewable electricity source.

Developed with support from Power Africa, this report aims to provide the government and its development partners with data on the scale of the remaining energy gap in the healthcare sector, and options of long-term sustainable models and estimates of investment needed for delivery of continuous and reliable electricity service.