By Kudakwashe Pembere
Zimbabwe’s Solar for Health (S4H) initiative, which has powered over 1,000 health facilities across the country, has caught the attention of several countries across Africa, Eastern Europe and Latin America keen to learn from its implementation.
Since its launch in 2017, more than 1,700 public health institutions in Zimbabwe have been equipped with solar systems under the S4H project, which is funded by The Global Fund.
In an interview with HealthTimes on the sidelines of the commissioning of a climate-proof incinerator at Sally Mugabe Central Hospital, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Resident Representative to Zimbabwe Ayodele Odusola revealed that eight countries are set to study the S4H initiative.
“In fact, earlier I mentioned we have eight countries that had indicated willingness to come here and understudy. We have four of them from Africa and the rest from outside Africa, including Latin America and Eastern Europe. But the one I told you that we are currently working on is the federal government of Nigeria that is coming here.
“We’ve gotten requests from Mozambique, requests from Malawi, and a number of other African countries that we’re processing now. But we hope before the end of the year, some of the countries will definitely be here to come and understudy what we do on the Solar for Health initiative,” Odusola said.
Odusola added that US$51 million has been invested into the entire Solar for Health project.
“The Irish government is one of the development partners supporting the Global Fund. But what comes to Zimbabwe is difficult for you to separate what each partner contributed into.
“But it’s the lump sum that we can tell you exactly that is going into this. There are a number of facilities. For instance, the one we are using for Solar for Health initiative where we spent about US$51 million.
“And it has been able to cover over 1,000 health facilities. Currently, as we speak, 1,073 health facilities have been linked to 24-7 electricity supply through solar,” he said.
He also noted that the National Pharmaceutical Company (NatPharm)’s warehouses have benefitted from the initiative.
“And what we have seen over there in terms of 450 kilowatt solar system is just one of the NatPharm warehouses we’re supporting with solar system.
“We have in Mutare, we have in Masvingo, and we have in many other locations. For instance, the incinerator you see here today, it’s another one in Mpilo Hospital in Bulawayo.
“So there are so many of them because the support that we have from Global Fund through the Ministry of Health leadership and UNDP implementation has covered all the districts in this country.
“So that’s the way it is. And what you are seeing is just a snapshot of a few things that have been delivered in terms of supporting resilient and sustainable systems for health in Zimbabwe,” Odusola said.
Odusola added that other countries have also come to Zimbabwe to study its abattoir system.
“But I want you to know that there are some other countries that have visited here in terms of what we do, particularly in terms of what we do in the abattoir system in Lupane and many others through the Resilient Building Fund.
“We had the government of the Sahel region comprising almost about 13 countries within Western and Central African countries. They’ll be here to understudy how things are on, and we want to really make sure that we project the good things that Zimbabwe is doing to the rest of the world,” he said.
Health and Child Care Minister Dr Douglas Mombeshora, who officiated the commissioning of the incinerator, said the solar system at NatPharm’s central warehouse was a milestone in building a resilient health system.
“What we have seen today, firstly at NatPharm Warehouse and then here at Sally Mugabe Central Hospital speaks volumes. The 450 kilowatt solar system powering the warehouse at NatPharm and the state-of-the-art incinerator that we have just seen here are not just projects, they are milestones in our journey toward a resilient and sustainable health system,” he said.
“Most people think when we talk of health they just think of medicines, they think that is health, but it’s much more than that. Today we are witnessing the support infrastructure that is required to keep the system oiled and to make sure that the health delivery system is complete, and this we are really appreciating our partners who have made it possible.”
