Abu Dhabi, UAE: The Zayed Sustainability Prize‘s Beyond2020 initiative has expanded access to reliable healthcare for more than 200,000 people in rural Karnataka, India, through the deployment of six solar-powered health facilities equipped with energy-efficient medical technologies.

Implemented by SELCO Foundation, a 2018 Zayed Sustainability Prize winner, the project addresses unreliable electricity in remote communities by providing off-grid solar power systems and battery storage to support uninterrupted healthcare services. The facilities feature neonatal and maternal care equipment, vaccine storage, digital diagnostic tools, telemedicine units, and portable medical devices, enabling timely and quality care closer to patients’ homes.

Click here to join our WhatsApp channel here

Reflecting on the partnership’s impact, Dr. Harish Hande, CEO, SELCO Foundation, said: “Energy is a catalyst for better healthcare. By redesigning health facilities through solar innovation, we can make care both accessible and aspirational, bringing quality services to even the most remote communities. Our broader goal is to expand this model nationwide so that sustainable energy continues to drive improved health outcomes for those who need it most.”

The initiative also includes a mobile health clinic developed in partnership with the Swami Vivekananda Youth Movement, extending healthcare services to underserved communities across Karnataka.

Also read: Abu Dhabi Introduces First Remote Heart Monitoring Implant for Predictive Heart Failure Care

The deployment forms part of Beyond2020, the flagship impact initiative of the Zayed Sustainability Prize, which leverages innovative technologies to strengthen sustainable development worldwide. To date, the programme has completed 19 deployments across health, energy, water, and food sectors, positively impacting more than 429,800 people in 19 countries, with Colombia identified as the next destination for its 20th deployment.