Solar electricity has been linked to longer clinic operating hours, more attended births and increased patient access in rural Uganda, according to an analysis conducted by SAS employee volunteers for Let There Be Light International.
The Data for Good project examined more than a decade of clinic and household data to assess how solar electrification affected health care and daily life in communities without reliable access to electricity.
At electrified rural health clinics, the analysis found an average increase of 11.5 operating hours per day. Attended births rose by 107.3 percent, while clinics recorded an additional 48.9 patients per week.
The findings suggest that providing electricity to health facilities can affect how and when services are delivered, particularly after dark when unreliable lighting can limit maternity and other health services.
“Previously we had no reliable light and this affected our maternity service delivery at night,” said Sylvia, a midwife at a Safe Births + Healthy Homes clinic.
“But with the solar lamp incentive, clinic births have more than doubled within a period of less than a year. We are happy to have a reliable light source to better handle deliveries at night and not spend money on buying disposable flash torches and kerosene. We have high hopes that many more mothers will be delivering at the health clinic instead of going to traditional birth attendants.”
Findings from 3,519 families
A separate analysis looked at households participating in Let There Be Light International’s Safe Births + Healthy Homes programme, which provides solar lighting to rural health facilities and homes while supporting maternal and infant health.
The household dataset included responses from 3,519 families.
Among those surveyed, 88.1 percent reported improved health at home, while 56.9 percent reported reduced symptoms or illness. Families also reported safer conditions for household chores and other activities at night and greater confidence in caring for children after dark.
The two SAS volunteer teams examined different aspects of the programme. One focused on clinic performance, including operating hours, attended births and patient numbers. The other analysed household responses to assess the effects of solar lighting on health, safety and family routines.
“The real value of analytics was in connecting infrastructure to outcomes that matter to people,” said Naveen Sundaresan, SAS Technical Support Engineering Manager and project volunteer.
“Electrification is not just about whether a clinic has power; it is about whether that power translates into longer operating hours, greater patient access, stronger maternal health capacity and more reliable care.”
Using data to guide expansion
Let There Be Light International said the analysis provides a clearer picture of the outcomes associated with solar electrification and can help the organisation determine where future support may have the greatest value.
The organisation works to address energy poverty by providing solar power to rural health facilities and households. Its Safe Births + Healthy Homes programme also seeks to ensure families have access to safer lighting after mothers and newborns leave health facilities.
“SAS analysed more than a decade of data, giving us a clearer picture of how solar power improves health and health care in off-grid communities and who benefits most,” said Hannah Schulman, Director of Programmes and Impact at Let There Be Light International.
“Better understanding what really works to support mothers, clinic staff and whole communities helps us strengthen our programmes. It allows us to partner more effectively with local stakeholders and advocate for expanding solar safety net programming so that no one is left behind.”
The organisation said combining clinic results with household experiences, illness patterns and geographic information will help it assess the impact of previous interventions, identify communities that could benefit from future support and determine how successful approaches can be replicated elsewhere.
