Shine a Light: The Suitcase That's Saving Women's Lives

In the fight against maternal mortality in the developing world, a rugged, portable “Solar Suitcase” is providing reliable electricity to clinics in 17 countries where healthcare workers previously struggled to provide emergency obstetric care by the light of candles, flashlights and mobile phones. The Solar Suitcase powers medical LED lights, headlamps, mobile phones, computers and medical devices.

In Kaduna State, located in the Northern part of Nigeria, four Solar electric systems have been installed at Kofan Gayan State Hospital. Individual solar suitcases were deployed in multiple Nigerian maternity clinics including Baban Dodo, Tutan Wada Clinic, Pampaida Clinics (part of the Millenial Village Project), and Okpuno clinic. They are also being used to power laptop computer for electronic medical records, and to aid Population Council researchers studying maternal health care in rural villages. In 2011, Installation of solar suitcases has begun in Kano and Kaduna States in partnership with the Ministry of Health. The plan is to  install 36 systems over the next few months.

Ken Banks of The National Geographic Emerging Explorer talks more in his article about the work of Laura Stachel.