SAS data shows solar power boosts rural Uganda care

SAS has analysed data for Let There Be Light International on the effects of solar electrification in rural Uganda, examining outcomes at health clinics and in households.

Through a Data for Good project focused on off-grid communities, SAS employee volunteers reviewed more than a decade of clinic and household data. The aim was to measure what changed after rural health clinics received solar power and how home lighting affected daily life for mothers and families.

The clinic analysis found that electrified facilities reported an average of 11.5 additional operating hours per day, a 107.3% increase in attended births and 48.9 more patients each week. The findings suggest the extra hours gave health workers more scope to provide care after sunset and respond to the needs of mothers, newborns and other patients.

Let There Be Light International addresses energy poverty by bringing solar power to rural health facilities and homes. Its Safe Births + Healthy Homes programme is designed to support maternal and infant health while helping families gain access to safer lighting once mothers and newborns leave the clinic.

Two volunteer teams studied separate parts of the programme. One examined whether electrified clinics stayed open longer, supported more births and served more patients. The other reviewed participant data to assess how solar lighting affected health, safety and household routines.

The household research covered responses from 3,519 families. Of those surveyed, 88.1% reported improved health at home and 56.9% said they had experienced fewer symptoms or less illness.

Families also reported safer household chores and activities at night, along with greater confidence in caring for children after dark. Together, the clinic and household findings offer a clearer picture of the outcomes associated with solar electrification.

A midwife at one of the clinics described the practical effect on maternity services after dark. "Previously we had no reliable light and this affected our maternity service delivery at night," said Sylvia, Midwife, Safe Births + Healthy Homes Clinic. "But with the solar lamp incentive, clinic births have more than doubled within a period of less than a year. We are happy to have a reliable light source to better handle deliveries at night and not spend money on buying disposable flash torches and kerosene. We have high hopes that many more mothers will be delivering at the health clinic instead of going to traditional birth attendants."

Data review

The analysis linked infrastructure spending with service outcomes in health care settings. The data set allowed the teams to compare clinic access, maternal care activity and household experiences over an extended period.

"The real value of analytics was in connecting infrastructure to outcomes that matter to people," said Naveen Sundaresan, Technical Support Engineering Manager, SAS. "Electrification is not just about whether a clinic has power; it is about whether that power translates into longer operating hours, greater patient access, stronger maternal health capacity and more reliable care."

For Let There Be Light International, the results are intended to inform decisions about where support should be directed and how programmes can be adapted for different communities. Combining clinic results, illness patterns, household experiences and geographic information is expected to help the organisation assess past impact and identify where intervention could be most useful.

That approach is also expected to shape discussions with local stakeholders involved in community health and energy access. The group works with grassroots non-governmental organisations, and its model is based on local knowledge and community-led delivery.

Programme focus

The organisation places particular emphasis on communities most affected by energy poverty, including women, children, older people and people living with disabilities. In rural areas where grid access is limited, lighting can affect whether clinics stay open after dark and whether families can carry out domestic tasks safely.

Director Hannah Schulman said the breadth of the analysis had improved the organisation's understanding of who benefits most from solar access. "SAS analysed more than a decade of data, giving us a clearer picture of how solar power improves health and health care in off-grid communities and who benefits most," said Hannah Schulman, Director, Let There Be Light International. "Better understanding what really works to support mothers, clinic staff and whole communities helps us strengthen our programs. It allows us to partner more effectively with local stakeholders and advocate for expanding solar safety net programming so that no one is left behind."