SOMALIA: MSF solar-powered hospital reduces carbon footprint
In a transformative step towards sustainability and improved healthcare delivery, Doctors Without Borders (MSF) recently upgraded the solar energy system at Mudug Regional Hospital in Galkayo, Somalia. Launched in October 2024, this ambitious initiative involved expanding and rehabilitating the hospital's solar photovoltaic (PV) infrastructure, including the installation of advanced inverters, additional solar panels, and state-of-the-art monitoring tools.
This initiative is part of MSF's comprehensive strategy to reduce carbon emissions and promote environmental sustainability, not only benefiting Galkayo but also setting a benchmark for similar sustainable projects across the region and throughout Somalia. By transitioning from diesel generators to renewable energy, MSF addresses the broader environmental footprint, contributing to reduced air pollution and enhanced resilience against climate shocks nationwide.
Prior to this upgrade, MSF-supported wards at Mudug Regional Hospital heavily relied on diesel generators, burning thousands of litres of fuel monthly. This dependency led to substantial operational costs and contributed significantly to carbon emissions, undermining MSF’s broader environmental commitments and exacerbating local air pollution.
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) recognises Somalia as one of the countries most vulnerable to climate change globally. The country is severely impacted by recurrent climate shocks such as prolonged droughts, severe floods, and rising temperatures. These environmental factors directly threaten healthcare provision by exacerbating public health challenges, including increased rates of malnutrition, outbreaks of waterborne diseases like cholera, and the heightened spread of vector-borne illnesses such as malaria.
“The climate crisis isn't just an environmental issue—it directly impacts human health, particularly in vulnerable regions like Mudug,” explains Mohsin Rafiq, MSF Project coordinator in Mudug, Somalia. “With this solar initiative, we're not only significantly cutting our carbon emissions but also ensuring a reliable and continuous healthcare service, especially during climate-induced emergencies.”
The solar initiative at Mudug Regional Hospital exemplifies MSF’s broader commitment to tackling environmental challenges throughout Somalia. Expanding sustainable healthcare infrastructure across both northern and southern parts of Galkayo and extending to other regions is crucial, given Somalia's extreme vulnerability to climate change, as identified by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). Reducing dependence on diesel generators not only significantly cuts operational costs but also substantially mitigates carbon emissions, thereby setting a standard for health facilities nationwide. This approach ensures that sustainable energy solutions become integral to healthcare resilience, allowing MSF to effectively manage healthcare delivery during climate-induced emergencies.
The newly installed hybrid solar grid-tied system, rated at 60kW/30kW, markedly reduces operational costs and lowers carbon emissions. The system is designed to deliver reliable and uninterrupted energy to the hospital, enhancing the facility's resilience against energy disruptions common with diesel-powered systems. Moreover, the integration of internet-connected monitoring tools provides MSF staff with real-time data on energy use, system efficiency, and performance, facilitating proactive maintenance and ensuring sustainability for years to come.
Mohsin underscores the critical need for climate resilience in healthcare infrastructure: “The frequent and intense climate shocks Somalia experiences compound existing healthcare crises, leaving vulnerable communities even more exposed. Renewable energy solutions like the upgraded solar system in Galkacyo enables us to respond effectively to these challenges, maintaining essential medical services precisely when they're needed most.”
This innovative solar upgrade aligns with MSF's commitment to environmental sustainability, directly supporting the organisation's goal of halving its carbon emissions by 2030 compared to 2019 levels. It also serves as a model of practical climate action within the humanitarian sector, demonstrating how sustainable energy initiatives can be successfully integrated into essential medical operations, even in crisis-affected areas.
MSF’s Green Initiative Brings Sustainable Healthcare and Climate Resilience to Somalia_PR.docx
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Jane Rabothata
About Doctors Without Borders (MSF)
Doctors Without Borders (MSF) is a global network of principled medical and other professionals who specialise in medical humanitarian work, driven by our common humanity and guided by medical ethics. We strive to bring emergency medical care to people caught in conflicts, crises, and disasters in more than 70 countries worldwide.
In South Africa, the organisation is recognised as one of the pioneers of providing Antiretroviral Treatment (ART) in the public sector and started the first HIV programmes in South Africa in 1999. Until today, the focus of MSF’s interventions in the country has primarily been on developing new testing and treatment strategies for HIV/AIDS and TB in Eshowe (Kwa-Zulu Natal) and Khayelitsha (Western Cape).
In Tshwane, we run a migration project, and we offer medical and psychosocial care to migrants, refugees, and asylum seekers, who struggle to access public health services under South Africa’s increasingly restrictive.
Previously we offered free, high-quality, confidential medical care to survivors of SGBV in Rustenburg.
To learn more about our work in South Africa, please visit this page on our website (www.msf.org.za). To support MSF’s work:
- SMS “JOIN” to 42110 to donate R30 Once-off
- Visit https://www.msf.org.za/donate