In 2021, the WHO rated climate change as the greatest global health threat of the 21st century. While half of the world's population still lacks access to essential health services, a 2019 report on the climate footprint of the health sector indicates that if the health sector were a country, it would be the fifth largest emitter of greenhouse gases on the planet .

As part of an important step in the transformation and sustainable development of public health infrastructure, the SELCO Foundation and the IKEA Foundation, in partnership with the Indian Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MOHFW) and various State Health Missions, have launched the innovative “Energy for Health” initiative. The program places climate adaptation and mitigation at the center of all efforts to modernize public health facilities around the world.

Commenting on the importance of this program globally, Dr Maria Neira, Acting Assistant Director General of the Division of Healthier Populations and Director of the Environment, Climate Change and Health Department of the World Health Organization health says:Access to reliable electricity in health facilities is essential for quality health care delivery and for saving lives. And yet, a billion people around the world are served by health facilities without reliable power or none at all. Decentralized renewable energies offer the unique opportunity to accelerate the electrification of healthcare facilities, especially in remote areas. I congratulate the Government of India and our partners at the Selco Foundation and the Ikea Foundation for this major program that will transform and strengthen the health system”.

Through this first-of-its-kind initiative, 25,000 healthcare facilities in 12 states will be powered by solar power and equipped with efficient electrical medical equipment by 2026. The 12 states covered by this program have differences in terms of topography , socio-economic vulnerabilities, disease burden and climate. Thanks to this diversity within the selected geographical areas, the program will set an example on a global scale by innovating relevant approaches, models and processes in similar contexts elsewhere in the world.

Studying India's leadership in this process, Dr. Harish Hande, CEO of the SELCO Foundation, said: " For access to health care to be affordable and equitable, two aspects must be considered, the first concerns the resources necessary for the provision of health care, and the second, the cost of access to health care. This program will enable the SELCO Foundation and the IKEA Foundation, as well as the Indian Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MOHFW) and various State Health Missions, to shed light on a large scale on how Disadvantaged populations can benefit from affordable health services through sustainable energy. »

The “Energy for Health” initiative has a positive impact on all stakeholders. Indeed, this initiative empowers last mile communities to access timely health care, ensures a work environment conducive to the delivery of quality services to health facility staff, helps reduce costs related to energy and equipment and avoid waste of vaccines and other essential resources in the health sector, strengthens climate resilience and carbon mitigation efforts while ensuring improved care health for all citizens.

Mr. Per Heggenes, CEO of the IKEA Foundation, says: “ At the IKEA Foundation, we firmly believe that the health of people and the health of our planet are closely linked. By supplying thousands of clinics with reliable, renewable energy, this initiative will lead to improved health care and reduced emissions. We hope that this successful program can serve as a model for creating effective and efficient health systems worldwide. »

Through this initiative and support from the IKEA Foundation, the SELCO Foundation and the Government of India will develop methods and processes that demonstrate ownership, management and regular maintenance of energy systems and appliances. Together and through the 25,000 public health facilities, technical knowledge and skills, as well as guidelines and policies that enable health personnel at different levels to sustainably manage public health infrastructure will be improved. The program will also optimize the local technical solar energy network, which could potentially lead to indirect impacts on local economies and stimulate the adoption of solar energy in other sectors.

The initiative aims to reach more than 170 million people in the 12 states and improve the working conditions of more than 160,000 frontline healthcare workers in these facilities. Through the 25,000 public health facilities, the country will benefit from about 100 MW of additional solar thermal capacity and save more than 3 Mt CO2e over a 20-year period. This will directly contribute to India's carbon neutral goals while also being a fundamental shift in how health goals can be achieved effectively in resource-constrained communities across the globe.

About partners:

SELCO Foundation:
Established in 2010, the SELCO Foundation's mission is to develop holistic solutions that use sustainable energy as a catalyst to fight poverty while ensuring environmental sustainability. SELCO provides sustainable and essential services, especially in the field of health care that enable the improvement of livelihoods. To date, more than 7 million people have benefited from it. To do this, the foundation creates a set of favorable conditions, i.e. an ecosystem enabling the local development, adoption, scaling and institutionalization of sustainable energy solutions by stakeholders, including public bodies, financiers, local NGOs and businesses.

For more information, visit: www.selco foundation.org , or follow us on Twitter (@SELCOFoundation) and LinkedIn.

IKEA Foundation:
The IKEA Foundation is a strategic philanthropic organization that focuses its grantmaking efforts on tackling the two greatest threats to children's futures: poverty and climate change. The foundation currently grants more than EUR 200 million per year to help improve families' incomes and quality of life while protecting the planet from climate change. Since 2009, the IKEA Foundation has granted more than EUR 1.5 billion to build a better future for children and their families.

In 2021, the foundation has decided to release an additional EUR 1 billion over the next five years to accelerate the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions.

For more information, visit: www.ikeafoundation.org or follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter.

The text of the press release resulting from a translation should in no way be considered official. The only authentic version of the press release is that of the press release in its original language. The translation will always have to be compared with the source text, which will set a precedent.

contacts
Lotika Mehta
lotika.mehta@ikeafoundation.org

 

Source:businesswire.com

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