A new worldwide campaign named 100-4-100 is set 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 campus this week. Hospitals in the Global South often experience dangerous power failures, with 88 per cent 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 India, Benin, Ghana, Mexico, Nigeria, Rwanda, and South Africa.
Aneel Bhangu, Professor of Global Surgery at the University of Birmingham, explained: “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.”
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.
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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, Maharashtra, 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.
Eventually, the hospitals covered by the project in India will include the cities of Kanpur, Bilaspur, Bhopal, Hyderabad, Jodhpur, New Delhi, Patna, Rishikesh, Gurgaon, Bhubaneswar, Tezpur, Bengaluru, Mohali, Nandurbar, Ludhiana, Vellore, Navi Mumbai, Dindigul, Chandigarh, Patiala, Srinagar, Manali, Cuttack, Lucknow, Raipur, Thrissur, Karnal, Manipal, Pune, Madurai, Kollencherry, Betul, Baripada, Vadodra, Kolkata, Mumbai, Gangtok.
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."
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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.
NIHR is funded by the Department of Health and Social Care, with its work in low and middle income countries is principally funded through international development funding from the UK government.