Assessing the impacts of sufficient and reliable electricity in low-resource healthcare facilities.

Reliable electricity supply (≥22 hours/day) in Democratic Republic of the Congo healthcare facilities reduces inpatient mortality by 41%, saving lives and improving health outcomes.

• Why it matters: Many low-resource health systems in sub-Saharan Africa lack consistent power, hindering essential services and risking patient survival. Addressing this gap can significantly improve healthcare quality and efficiency.
• What they did: Using survey data, sensor measurements, and health records from 303 facilities, the study employed longitudinal targeted maximum likelihood estimation and fixed effects models to assess the impact of power reliability on mortality, utilization, and staffing.
• The result: Facilities with reliable power saw a 17% increase in outpatient visits and a 24% rise in nurse working days, highlighting electricity’s vital role in enhancing service delivery and patient outcomes.