Climate Connections 'Solar suitcases' bring safe lighting to more than 10,000 clinics across sub-Saharan Africa
Oct 24, 2025
Dr. Ambrose Katunji Muezi, representative of We Care Solar and advocate for safe childbirth, discusses the life-changing impact of solar suitcases in sub-Saharan Africa. He reveals how many clinics rely on dim kerosene lamps, making safe deliveries challenging. The podcast highlights the dire consequences of unreliable power on emergency care, leading to delays in surgeries. With over 10,000 clinics now equipped with solar systems, Dr. Muezi shares how these innovations are revolutionizing maternal health by providing vital lighting and medical resources.
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Powerlessness Endangers Maternal Care
- Many rural clinics in sub-Saharan Africa lack reliable electricity, forcing births to occur in near darkness.
- This power gap prevents safe procedures like C-sections and blood transfusions, endangering mothers and newborns.
Deliveries By Kerosene Light
- Providers often operate using kerosene lamps or dim light during deliveries, which provides insignificant support.
- Dr. Ambrose Katunji Muezi warns that such conditions impede delivering good health services to mothers and newborns.
Delays Multiply Health And Economic Harm
- Lack of light forces referrals to distant clinics, causing life-threatening delays and high costs for families.
- These delays create catastrophic health expenditures and harm community economic status.