In the Tombouctou region of northern Mali, Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) has equipped Niafounké Hospital with a cutting-edge solar energy system. This initiative boosts the hospital’s energy independence and ensures uninterrupted medical care in a region plagued by isolation and insecurity.
The hospital previously relied heavily on a diesel-powered thermal plant, which frequently experienced power outages. Medical teams had to depend on generators daily, incurring high costs and facing reliability issues. The new solar photovoltaic system now meets approximately 60% of the hospital’s energy needs, significantly reducing this dependency.
This energy transition drastically cuts expenses related to generator maintenance and diesel fuel, allowing us to allocate more resources to patient care. It also ensures the continuity of critical services such as neonatal and pediatric oxygen concentrators, emergency surgeries, obstetric care, laboratory operations, ultrasound machines, and the cold chain essential for blood transfusions.
The system boasts a capacity of 90 kWc, paired with a 210 kWh lithium battery storage solution and backed by an 80 kVA generator. This hybrid setup seamlessly switches between solar energy, the city’s electrical grid, and the generator, providing a continuous power supply day and night.
For patients like Fadi, who fled her village of Léré due to armed group threats, this energy stability is life-changing. She now lives in Niafounké with her children and shares, “I fled with my children and sister when armed men ordered everyone to leave our village. Today, I bring my son Ousmane to the pediatric unit.” In a context of displacement and hardship, reliable healthcare access is vital.
This project aligns with MSF’s Green Initiative, a strategy to reduce the environmental impact of its operations while enhancing efficiency. For years, the organization has deployed hybrid solar photovoltaic systems in countries across the Sahel to minimize dependence on diesel—a costly and polluting fuel that is difficult to transport to remote areas.
Beyond environmental benefits, the energy cost savings enable MSF to redirect financial resources toward medical services. Solar power stabilizes the operation of laboratories, cold storage units, and essential hospital services, improving working conditions for staff and the quality of care for patients.
In a humanitarian landscape marked by fragility, solar energy is more than a technical solution—it’s a catalyst for autonomy, resilience, and hope for healthcare facilities and the communities they serve. Through initiatives like this, MSF merges humanitarian action with environmental responsibility and sustainable commitment to saving lives.
Since 2019, MSF has run a pediatric project at Niafounké Hospital, treating children under 15. The organization also supports four community health centers and conducts primary and community health activities in remote villages across the Gourma region in the Tombouctou area.
