Solar power expands vaccine access to 1.3m people in rural Zambia

The Health Facility Solar Electrification initiative will deploy five to eight kilowatt peak solar photovoltaic systems alongside vaccine cold chain equipment. 

Powering vaccine refrigerators and essential devices using solar energy addresses the high risk of vaccine spoilage in off-grid clinics.

The government of Zambia is working with Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, UNICEF and the World Health Organization on the programme, which is also being implemented in Ethiopia and Uganda. A total of 1,277 health facilities across the countries will be solarised. Officials said the approach is designed as a pilot to generate evidence for future government and donor investment in energy solutions that secure vaccine supply chains and improve primary healthcare delivery.

Zambia’s Minister of Health Elijah Muchima said the project will allow clinics to keep vaccines safe and improve working conditions for health workers. The solar programme runs alongside a second initiative called Direct Delivery of Routine Immunisation Vaccines and other Essential health commodities for Equity. This scheme introduces local delivery partners to transport vaccines directly to clinics to improve access.

The two initiatives are expected to improve vaccine availability and cut health worker travel time by an estimated 600 hours each month. Once fully implemented, 25 million people living near newly electrified clinics in the four countries will benefit from expanded immunisation services and safer maternal and child health care.

Supply challenges already hinder vaccine delivery in Africa, but cold chain issues, specifically maintaining temperatures between 2°C and 8°C, further widens the access gaps. Solar Direct Drive (SDD) refrigerators, that are part of the solarisation programme in Zambia, differ from traditional solar vaccine refrigerators that store energy in batteries. They have proven beneficial for many African nations.

The SDD refrigerator is powered directly by photovoltaic (PV) solar panels, eliminating the need for batteries. When sunlight is available, the system freezes water or another phase change material within an internal cold storage bank.The frozen reserve is utilised to maintain the required internal temperature, typically between 2°C and 8°C, during nights or cloudy periods. 

“SDDs use solar energy to freeze storage material, keeping vaccines safe even at night and on cloudy days. In Nigeria, they have ensured uninterrupted immunisation, offering freeze-free protection and reliable performance even at high temperatures.” said Paschal Protus Bwile, UNICEF Cold Chain Specialist in a phone interview with Healthcare Rising.

To ensure proper vaccine preservation, SDD units are equipped with thermostats and temperature monitoring devices, such as Vaccine Vial Monitors (VVMs). These indicators signal when vaccines may have been exposed to temperature deviations, ensuring only potent doses are administered.

One in four health facilities in Africa operate without electricity, creating severe gaps in safe storage of medicines and continuity of emergency care

Off-grid renewable energy can deliver clean and reliable power to health centres in regions with major electricity gaps. Progress is slowed by limited financing and weak business models among partners, and inadequate policies to support long-term service delivery.