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Quantifying the energy access situation of health-care facilities in low- and lower-middle-income countries is critical to understanding the extent to which a lack of electricity is a barrier to the delivery of quality health-care services, a key component of universal health coverage, and the agenda under the Sustainable Development Goals.
It is estimated that close to 1 billion people in low- and lower-middle-income countries are served by health-care facilities without reliable electricity access or with no electricity access at all. In low- and lower-middle-income countries of South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa, approximately 12% and 15% of health-care facilities, respectively, have no access to electricity whatsoever. There is a sharp urban–rural divide: urban health-care facilities often report more access to electricity and more reliable electricity than rural facilities in the same country. WHO monitors the progress on electrifying health-care facilities in underserved countries.
The database includes summary statistics from national health-care facility assessments, surveys and reports on the percentage of facilities reporting no access to any electricity, unreliable access and reliable access to electricity. The data are disaggregated by health-care facility attributes, when available, including facility type (hospital versus non-hospital) and geographic location (urban versus rural).
Key figures
Access in South Asia
12%
of health-care facilities lack any access to electricity.
Access in sub-Saharan Africa
15%
of health-care facilities lack any access to electricity.
Reliability
Only 50%
of hospitals in sub-Saharan Africa report reliable electricity access.
Population impacted
About 1 billion
people worldwide are estimated to be served by health-care facilities with no electricity access or with unreliable electricity supply.
Regional electricity access estimates for all health-care facilities and disaggregated by hospitals and non-hospitals, 2015-2022
| All health-care facilities | Hospitals | Non-hospitals | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| World Bank region | Income group | No electricity access (%) | Unreliable electricity access (%) | Reliable electricity access (%) | No electricity access (%) | Unreliable electricity access (% | Reliable electricity access (%) | No electricity access (%) | Unreliable electricity access (% | Reliable electricity access (%) |
| East Asia and Pacific | Low-income and lower-middle- income | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Europe and Central Asia | Low-income (no countries) and lower-middle- income | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Latin America and the Caribbean | Low-income (no countries) and lower-middle- income | 8 | 19 | 72 | 0 | 14 | 86 | 8 | 19 | 71 |
| Middle East and North Africa | Low-income and lower-middle- income | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| South Asia | Low-income and lower-middle- income | 12 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Sub-Saharan Africa | Low-income and lower-middle- income | 15 | 41 | 40 | 2 | 49 | 50 | 19 | 41 | 40 |
–: no or insufficient data for regional estimates.
Note: The income grouping refers to the World Bank analytical income of economies as of 1 July 2022, based on the 2021 gross national income per capita estimates. Averages are derived when health-care facility survey data are available from enough countries to represent at least 25% of the population in that region and income group. Because of rounding and/or using different sources, the percentages in each set of three columns (no access, unreliable access, reliable access) may not total 100%.
Source: World Health Organization, World Bank, International Renewable Energy Agency & Sustainable Energy for All. (2023). Energizing health: accelerating electricity access in health-care facilities
Estimated population served by health-care facilities with no electricity access or with unreliable electricity in low- and lower-middle-income countries, disaggregated by region, 2015-2022
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electrification of health care facilities
electrification of health care facilities
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Note: Population figures according to the 2022 Revision of World Population Prospects were used to inform the estimates.
Source: World Health Organization, World Bank, International Renewable Energy Agency & Sustainable Energy for All. (2023). Energizing health: accelerating electricity access in health-care facilities.
National electricity access estimates for all health-care facilities and disaggregated by urban and rural areas, 2015-2022
GHO HCF_REL_ELECTRICITY, HCF_NO_ELECTRICITY,HCF_UNREL_ELECTRICITY X TABLE F 2x3 IND, DIM1 x SPATIAL,TIME, DIM2 health care facilities and electricity RESIDENCEAREATYPE
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Electrification of health-care facilities: Percentage of health-care facilities with no access to any electricity supply (%) -
Electrification of health-care facilities: Percentage of health-care facilities with unreliable electricity supply (%)
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Electrification of health-care facilities: Percentage of health-care facilities with reliable electricity supply (%)
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