Validation workshop: Sector Assessment on electrification of healthcare facilities

São Tomé, São Tomé and Príncipe

The health sector in São Tomé and Príncipe is highly vulnerable to significant power shortages with periods of lengthy blackouts. All the health facilities in the country are connected to the grid, however, the power supply is highly unreliable. Back-up systems are inadequate, with only the main healthcare facilities benefiting from back-up diesel generators – even in those cases, severe diesel shortages make those limited back-up options unreliable.

The energy and health care challenges have spurred the Government’s interest in creating an environment for investments in the energy sector in general and in special in the renewable energy sector, particularly in critical sectors such as health care. Interventions in this sector will moreover enable the country to face the rising impact of climatic disasters better and address their energy transition towards sustainable growth.

In response to the support request received from São Tomé and Príncipe on the deployment of renewable energy solutions for its healthcare facilities, IRENA, with support from UNDP, SELCO Foundation and the local consultant, has conducted a detailed country assessment analyzing the current energy-health infrastructure, and has come up with the technical designs, cost estimates for renewable-based power interventions. The assessment also presents the options for O&M models and makes recommendations on energy-efficient appliances and built environments. Now that the draft of the report on the electrification of healthcare facilities has been completed, IRENA with support from UNDP organised a validation workshop to present findings from the two workstream. The workshop was organized in a hybrid format.

Desired outcomes:

  • Wide dissemination of the key findings of the conducted assessments for electrification of healthcare facilities, including necessary steps and cost estimates for the solutions to be applied to other healthcare facilities, as well as a more energy-efficient delivery of healthcare services and building design, and
  • First steps for establishing a coalition of stakeholders in the country to carry out the steps and recommendations included in the conducted assessment.