UAE-backed solar project boosts healthcare in India

More than 200,000 people in rural India have access to more reliable healthcare after the Zayed Sustainability Prize's Beyond2020 initiative completed six solar-powered health centres in the southern state of Karnataka.

The facilities use renewable energy to power essential medical equipment in communities where electricity supplies can be unreliable, helping improve services such as maternal and neonatal care, vaccine storage, diagnostics and telemedicine.

The project was delivered by SELCO Foundation, winner of the 2018 Zayed Sustainability Prize, and includes battery storage capable of providing up to two days of backup power. A solar-powered mobile health clinic has also been deployed to extend healthcare services to more remote communities.

Many rural health centres in India face challenges including unreliable electricity, long travel distances for patients and limited access to specialist care. The new facilities aim to reduce those barriers by bringing more services closer to where people live.

Beyond2020 is the flagship impact initiative of the Zayed Sustainability Prize, supporting the deployment of innovative solutions in developing communities.

The programme has now completed 19 projects across Asia, Africa and Latin America, improving access to healthcare, energy, food and water for more than 429,800 people.

Colombia has been selected as the location for Beyond2020's 20th deployment.