Hospitals in the Global South often experience dangerous power failures - the 100 4 100 Project aims to install solar power at 100 hospitals in remote areas.
Hospitals in the Global South often experience dangerous power failures - the 100 4 100 Project aims to install solar power at 100 hospitals in remote areas.
Health experts have launched a world-wide campaign to raise $100 million to equip 100 hospitals across the Global South with secure, clean energy that will help them maintain vital health services and save lives.
The National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Global Health Research Unit on Global Surgery at the University of Birmingham launched the 100-4-100 Project at the Research for Greener Surgery Conference 2024, which took place on the University’s UK campus.
Hospitals in the Global South often experience dangerous power failures, with 88% losing power for at least four hours a week on average. The 100-4-100 Project aims to install solar power at 100 hospitals in remote areas in Benin, Ghana, India, Mexico, Nigeria, Rwanda, and South Africa.
Reliable electricity will save lives, and clean energy will help save the environment. We are seeking $100 million to implement and evaluate on-site clean energy strategies for 100 major hospitals across the Global South – allowing staff to operate safely, preventing avoidable deaths.
The 100-4-100 Project seeks to equip 100 hospitals in remote areas across these seven countries with comprehensive strategies for secure, clean energy - including plans for solar panels, batteries for energy storage, and LED lighting.
Professor of Global Surgery at the University of Birmingham Mr. Aneel Bhangu commented: “Electricity is vital for healthcare, but power losses are frequent in the Global South. All too often, these dangerous power failures leave hospitals unable to help patients in need.
“Reliable electricity will save lives, and clean energy will help save the environment. We are seeking $100 million to implement and evaluate on-site clean energy strategies for 100 major hospitals across the Global South – allowing staff to operate safely, preventing avoidable deaths.”
Following the launch, the NIHR Global Surgery Unit plans to conduct two pilot schemes in India and Nigeria, providing solar power to operating theatres in two hospitals, before rolling the scheme out to 100 hospitals.
Chinchpada Christian Hospital, India, is hit by daily power cuts of up to nine hours – forcing the use of costly, inefficient, and polluting diesel generators. Surgical services at Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospital, Nigeria, are often interrupted due to the inadequate power supply and running the back-up diesel generators is unaffordable.
Professor Dion Morton OBE, Barling Chair of Surgery and Co-Director of the NIHR Global Health Research Unit on Global Surgery, commented: "The biggest and least understood challenge in medicine today is the delivery of safe surgery, which has the potential to save over 17 million lives per year. Poor surgical practice leads to more deaths worldwide than tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS, and malaria combined. Over 5 billion people lack access to safe affordable surgical care, including 9 in 10 patients in low- and middle-income countries.
“The healthcare system of any nation requires a significant source of reliable energy to fuel its life-saving work. Energy is essential for all healthcare, including childbirth, surgery, and vaccines - The 100 4 100 Project will not only save lives but also set a new standard for sustainable healthcare in some of the world's most challenging locations."
The initiative aligns with global efforts to promote environmentally sustainable practices in healthcare, reducing reliance on unreliable power grids and lowering carbon emissions. It leverages the expertise of a community of 50,000 surgical team members across 120 countries, combining local leadership with innovative solutions to transform surgical care.
The NIHR Global Health Research Unit on Global Surgery is at the forefront of improving surgical outcomes worldwide. Its work has been recognized with a scientific Guinness World Record for research on the impacts of COVID-19 on surgical patients, involving over 140,000 patients in 116 countries.
For more information, please contact:
For more information, please contact Tony Moran, International Communications Manager, University of Birmingham +44 (0)7827 832312
The University of Birmingham is ranked amongst the world’s top 100 institutions. Its work brings people from across the world to Birmingham, including researchers, teachers and more than 8,000 international students from over 150 countries.
The 100 hospitals are situated in the following cities:
About the NIHR
The mission of the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) is to improve the health and wealth of the nation through research. We do this by:
NIHR is funded by the Department of Health and Social Care. Its work in low and middle income countries is principally funded through UK international development funding from the UK government.
Professor of Global Surgery
Staff profile for Mr Aneel Bhangu, Professor of Global Surgery & Consultant Surgeon, Institute of Applied Health Research, College of Medical and Dental Sciences
Barling Professor of Surgery
Profile of Professor Dion Morton, Professor of Surgery in the Department of Cancer and Genomic Sciences, University of Birmingham
