HOW SOLAR LIGHT FOR AFRICA

IS HELPING TO COMBAT THE AIDS VIRUS

Solar Light for Africa (SLA) is a 501©3 charitable organization that has been taking power and light to East African rural public facilities since 1997.   In particular, SLA has been installing solar systems in rural health clinics and hospitals.

The Kakuuto Hospital located in the Rakai District of Uganda where the AIDS epidemic was first identified was SLA’s beneficiary of major solar electrification and pure water in 2004.  Speaking at the formal commissioning ceremony of the hospital in July of this year U.S. Ambassador to Uganda, Jimmy Kolker, quoted from a study documenting the fact that the most effective technical intervention in providing measurable improvement in quality of life for rural people is the provision of electric power.   There are approximately 250,000 villagers in the surrounding area of the Kakuuto Hospital, many of whom are infected by the AIDS virus.

In 2003, SLA provided major solar electrification and pure water to the Rukunyu Hospital, also in Uganda.   The 290,000 villagers in the surrounding area, many of whom are also infected by the AIDS virus, now have access to the pure water provided by SLA at the several spigots strategically placed along a 5.2 kilometer pipeline. 

Solar electrification of health clinics and hospitals in rural areas make possible the following benefits:

Ø      Vaccines and other medicines can be preserved in small refrigerators.

Ø      Medical staffs are able to use otoscopes and other small medical equipment to better diagnose and treat patients

Ø      Medical equipment and tools can be sterilized with the use of energy efficient autoclaves; centrifuges and nebulizers can be utilized to assist in treating patients

Ø      Lighting provided by solar power replaces the toxic and black fumes of kerosene lanterns and small tadobas that are otherwise used.  This cleaner and clearer form of lighting enables the medical staffs to care for patients well into the night, as well as perform surgeries with better lighting.

Ø      Contaminated water made clean by solar-powered water purification systems diminishes the cases of dehydration and water-borne diseases.

With support from USAID and other funding sources, Solar Light for Africa will continue to provide major solar electrification and pure water to rural health clinics and hospitals in future years.