Dubai, December 05, 2023: The Energy for Health Activation at COP28, was inaugurated by Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director General, WHO, Ms. Kitty van der Heijden, Deputy Executive Director, Partnerships, UNICEF and Dr. Harish Hande, CEO, SELCO Foundation. The activation will be showcasing SELCO Foundation and IKEA Foundation’s commitment to power 25,000 health facilities in India with solar energy. It will be at COP28 till December 12, 2023 highlighting how sustainable energy can help decentralise health services at scale.
The partnership between IKEA Foundation and SELCO Foundation aims to utilize renewable energy technologies to expedite electrification of healthcare setups. The ultimate goal is to power 25,000 healthcare facilities across India by 2026 and extend the successful approach across the Global South.
Speaking at the inauguration, Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director General, WHO said, “I’m from the field and can associate myself with the images in the film. It’s the exact scenario I can remember. No electricity or partially functioning electricity which is not really efficient. We need to make it big and make it also fast. Better. Bigger. Faster.” Emphasizing on the need to expand the initiative, citing the impressive reduction in costs and the potential for installations in various countries. Dr Tedros called for collaborations amongst organizations, while acknowledging the commitments made by IKEA Foundation and SELCO Foundation. “What’s missing is the will. We need commitment! We need a bold plan,” he said.
Per Heggenes, CEO, IKEA Foundation, said “Everyone is surprised that we are able to solarize 25,000 health centers in rural India within the relatively short amount of time. We have built the evidence and figured out what works and what doesn’t work, we can now improve and go cheaper and better and faster with next 75,000 health centers in India. This is possible because of a combination of philanthropy and a great partner like SELCO.”
Dr. Harish Hande, CEO, SELCO Foundation shared “We had promised in May 2023 that in the next 7 months we would solar power and equip 1000 health centres with reliable energy. With IKEA Foundation and Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India, we have achieved 5000 in India in the same timeline, and we have promised you that in next 2 years we will reach 25,000 health facilities. I think its criminal if we are not able to do more by 2027. We (the collective stakeholder group and governments) should all together push for this.”
The Energy for Health Pavilion at COP28 establishes a global precedent, emphasizing the crucial role of sustainable energy solutions in transforming healthcare access for vulnerable communities. The immersive experiential film and exhibition hosted at B2, Blue Zone, COP28 highlights the significant impact of unreliable electricity on health services in vulnerable communities.
