Abt Team Partners with Power Africa to Bring Renewable Energy and Digital Connectivity to 10,000 Health Facilities in Sub-Saharan Africa

Abt, RESOLVE, bechtel.org, and Orange are mobilizing private sector investment to deliver reliable, renewable power and digital connectivity for 10,000 health facilities in sub-Saharan Africa. Our alliance with USAID Power Africa, African governments, and a host of other partners is modernizing health care for thousands of vulnerable communities while giving people the chance to earn better incomes close to home.

ROCKVILLE, Md., Oct. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ — More than 100,000 public health facilities in sub-Saharan Africa lack access to reliable electricity and almost all of them lack access to an internet connection. Millions of people seeking care and treatment in Africa are at risk because they can’t depend on refrigeration for medical commodities like vaccines, the presence of lights d for births or emergency surgeries at night, or the digital connectivity for communications and modern records management that modern medicine relies on. In short, insufficient power denies access to life-saving care.

To address this challenge, U.S. Agency for International Development’s (USAID) Power Africa has selected Abt Associates to lead the Healthcare Electrification and Telecommunications Alliance (HETA). This new Global Development Alliance was launched under the White House Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investment. The five-year, $47 million program will leverage significant private sector resources to install reliable, renewable power and provide mobile network and internet access for 10,000 health facilities across sub-Saharan Africa.

Abt is implementing HETA with partners RESOLVE, bechtel.org (Bechtel’s social enterprise), and Orange (founding alliance members), alongside a growing number of companies, organizations, and foundations in the healthcare, energy, and telecommunications sectors. Together with Power Africa and the USAID Bureau for Global Health, USAID country missions, African government partners, and alliance members, facilities will be outfitted to provide renewable energy and digital connectivity to improve healthcare service delivery and support U.S. climate commitments made at the United Nations General Assembly and the United Nations’ 26th Climate Change Conference of Parties in the last year.

The systems will include solar, battery, and other innovative energy technology, and incorporate mobile network access through cell towers and other infrastructure to connect clinics and hospitals. The HETA model will generate energy that’s surplus to facilities’ demand, allowing for nearby businesses and homes to access the excess electricity. Power will also be provided to cell towers to provide reliable mobile access.

The sale of surplus power will generate revenue for system maintenance, incorporating financial sustainability into the program beyond USAID’s investment. Electricity off-take also turns health facilities into hubs for local development, giving people access to the power and connectivity they need to start or grow businesses, stimulate incomes, and create new communities of connection.

HETA’s long-term vision looks beyond 10,000 facilities. Part of HETA’s mission is to design an alliance that can continue without USAID funding support. Abt, USAID, and HETA partners are already looking to build the funding base and governance structures to create this independent organization.

“Low-carbon, climate-resilient economies are imperative for the future, as is providing quality health care and financial well-being,” said Abt’s Chief Climate Officer Eric J. Reading. “Abt is excited to promote both through this alliance with USAID, Power Africa, and private sector partners to leverage private capital to put energy in the service of development.”

Media Contact

Eric Tischler, Abt Associate, 301-347-5492, [email protected]

SOURCE Abt Associate

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