Powering Health - Empowering Communities
Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance’ Solar Energy Lights Up Health Care in Rural Zambia
CHONGWE, Lusaka province, Zambia, August 2025 --- As the sun went down over Mwalumina village and dark clouds loomed in the sky, a different kind of light broke through, a symbol of hope! For the first time, Mwalumina Rural Health Center and surrounding staff homes glowed with solar-powered electricity. What was once a place of darkness, where babies were delivered by phone flashlights and urgent care paused with every sunset, is now a beacon of dignity and resilience. Health workers stood in awe, smiles wide, as their work was finally seen – literally - in a new light.
Established on 11 January 2005, Mwalumina Rural Health Center is situated exactly 38 km from the District Health Office and serves a catchment population of 9,925 people including over 1,600 children under five. Mwalumina has several reasons to celebrate this new chapter of hope that has begun as community members and health workers witness the first fully solar-electrified rural health facility under the Health Facility Solar Electrification (HFSE) initiative. This milestone marks the beginning of a transformational journey for 250 earmarked rural health facilities across Zambia.
Mwalumina health facility has long faced extraordinary challenges, irregular immunization sessions, which disrupted the continuity and reliability of essential vaccination services.
“This inconsistency not only reduced community trust in the facility but also increased the risk of vaccine-preventable disease outbreaks, particularly among children and other vulnerable populations,” shared Shelline Phiri, the Facility In-Charge.
Regular and predictable immunization efforts are critical for effective public health, and the lack of them undermines any facility's ability to meet this vital responsibility.
The farthest village is 18 kilometers away, and for many years, health workers here have delivered babies under the dim light of mobile phone flashlights. Patients have brought their own water while some services simply could not be provided when there was no power.
It warms my heart to know the maternity wing is now properly lit. No mother should have to go through what I did, giving birth under a phone light. This change means a safer, more dignified experience for families.
Conducting deliveries at night, and maintaining sterility, privacy and respectful care was difficult. This led to an increase in home births, as many mothers preferred not to deliver at the facility. Additionally, patients - especially children who needed cannulas inserted at night, had to be referred to Chongwe Hospital, 38 kilometers away.
Indeed, those stories of hardship have met a turning point. The joy and emotion expressed by health workers and community members were unmistakable. For the first time, the facility had reliable electricity, and with it, a renewed sense of dignity, safety and possibility.
Bridging Gaps in Health Service Delivery
In response to Zambia’s growing energy crisis and the urgent need for sustainable health service solutions, with funding support from Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, the World Health Organization (WHO) and UNICEF, in partnership with the Government of the Republic of Zambia (GRZ), launched the Health Facility Solar Electrification (HFSE) initiative.
This initiative aims to expand access to life-saving vaccines and improve overall healthcare delivery, the HFSE Learning Agenda Initiative is bringing reliable solar power to primary healthcare facilities. Building on the success of the Cold Chain Equipment Optimization Platform (CCEOP), this initiative aims to fully electrify health centers - powering solar refrigerators for vaccine storage, essential medical equipment, basic lighting and digital health tools. With sustainable energy, facilities can store vaccines safely, run diagnostic tools, and create safer, more functional environments for health workers and patients. Aligned with Gavi’s Immunization Supply Chain Strategy (2021–2025) and vaccine equity goals, this pilot project seeks to demonstrate the broader health benefits of full electrification. Lessons learned will guide future investments and potentially expand HFSE within the CCEOP portfolio.
Solarizing health facilities is transforming the bridge to zero-dose children (those who have never been vaccinated). With reliable solar power, facilities can keep vaccines safe and effective at all times, especially in remote areas. This means vaccines can be stored closer to communities, cutting down travel time for families and making access easier.
Solar energy also powers lights, medical equipment, and digital tools, allowing facilities to stay open longer, support safe deliveries and run outreach campaigns. For health workers, it removes a major barrier - no more worrying about power outages when trying to save lives.
By enabling the health facilities by electricity power 24/7, the HFSE is strengthening immunization coverage, improving maternal and child health outcomes, and supporting staff retention in remote areas by creating safer, more efficient working environments. Staff at Mwalumina Rural Health Center welcomed the HFSE initiative with joy.
With the sun powering our facility, thanks to Gavi, we now have an electric vaccine fridge with bigger storage capacity and no more worries about temperature fluctuations. This means stronger protection for newborns, mothers and our entire community.
Climate-Resilient and Cost-Efficient
Beyond improving health services, HFSE aligns with Zambia’s commitment to building climate-resilient infrastructure, with priority given to facilities that are off the national grid and away from expensive, polluting diesel generators reduces operational costs and carbon emissions, while ensuring that electricity is available to support and improve immunization and overall health services when it’s needed most.
Better lighting has really improved security around the health facility and staff homes. Security personnel, who previously relied on dimly lit, partially charged phone flashlights during their patrols, are now pleased that their working conditions have significantly improved.
A Scalable Model for National Transformation
This solar electrification project HFSE is based on Cold Chain Equipment Optimization Platform (CCEOP) - vital for safe, effective vaccine storage and delivery in Zambia’s most remote regions. With reliable electricity, cold chain systems now function optimally, ensuring vaccines remain potent and reach every child.
The HFSE is an innovative pilot testing how the CCEOP platform can go beyond just providing solar fridges to fully solarizing entire health facilities, including staff housing. While CCEOP previously focused on supplying solar-powered fridges, this pilot delivers a complete solar package - powering the entire facility and using electric fridges. The goal is to evaluate how effective and efficient it is to use CCEOP systems for full facility solarization compared to just providing solar fridges.
The HFSE initiative, currently rolling out to 250 sites, is a scalable, pilot-to-nationwide model that contributes to the National Development Plan and demonstrates how innovative energy solutions can drive equity and resilience in health care delivery.
A Brighter, Healthier Future
Speaking on behalf of the Mwalumina village community, Rodah Kabesha - a grandmother who has lived in the area for 64 years, shared her joy at this meaningful milestone. “Our community leaders, mothers and even our village headman - we're all very happy and grateful for this improvement to our health facility. It continues to give life and care to our children and the whole community. Thank you,” said Rodah.
What we are witnessing in Mwalumina is more than just lights - it’s life-saving infrastructure, it’s resilience, and it’s progress. Communities are already seeing the impact: shorter distances to care, safer deliveries at night, reliable immunization services, and health systems that work - when and where they’re needed.
Together with partners like Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, UNICEF is not just powering health facilities - we are powering a healthier, more equitable future for every child in Zambia.
