Cary, N.C. – October 07, 2026 -- Solar electrification at rural Ugandan health clinics has driven a 107.3% increase in attended births, according to a data analysis conducted by SAS employee volunteers for nonprofit Let There Be Light International.
Electrified clinics gain nearly 12 additional operating hours per day
The SAS-led Data for Good project found electrified clinics reported an average of 11.5 additional operating hours daily, alongside 48.9 more patients served each week. Volunteer teams analyzed more than a decade of clinic and household data to quantify outcomes tied to solar installations under the organization's Safe Births + Healthy Homes program.
Midwife reports clinic births have more than doubled in under a year
Sylvia, a midwife at a Safe Births + Healthy Homes clinic, said the solar lamp incentive helped clinic births more than double within less than a year, eliminating reliance on disposable flash torches and kerosene for nighttime deliveries.
Household survey of 3,519 families shows 88.1% report improved health
A separate household analysis covering 3,519 families found 88.1% reported improved health at home and 56.9% reported reduced symptoms or illness. Families also cited safer nighttime chores and greater confidence caring for children after dark.
SAS volunteer says analytics connected infrastructure data to patient outcomes
"The real value of analytics was in connecting infrastructure to outcomes that matter to people," said Naveen Sundaresan, SAS Technical Support Engineering Manager and project volunteer. Hannah Schulman, Director of Programs and Impact at Let There Be Light International, said the analysis of more than a decade of data clarified how solar power improves health outcomes in off-grid communities and identified which populations benefit most.
Let There Be Light International plans to use the combined clinic, household and geographic data to guide decisions on where to expand solar electrification programming and how to replicate results across other off-grid regions.