Makerere University, under the Sustainable Off-grid Solutions for Pharmacies and Hospitals in Africa (SophiA) Project, has donated and installed a modern solar-powered water and energy system at Buvuma Health Centre IV.
The intervention is improving healthcare delivery at the remote facility, which has long struggled with limited electricity, lack of clean water, and inadequate cold storage for medicines and vaccines.
Buvuma Health Centre IV serves thousands of island residents but previously operated under difficult conditions, with unreliable cold rooms and no modern neonatal unit for premature babies.
The SophiA Project, piloted in Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Malawi, and Uganda, aims to provide sustainable off-grid energy solutions for rural and remote health facilities.
The new system installed at Buvuma Health Centre IV provides solar power, safe drinking water, hot water and steam for bathing, sterilization, and cooking, as well as cooling systems for storing medicines and vaccines.
Associate Professor Nicholas Kiggundu, the project’s Principal Investigator from Makerere University’s Department of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering, explained that the SophiA system is containerized, integrating multiple energy and water systems within a single modular unit.
“This container houses power generation, water purification through ultrafiltration, cooling and refrigeration using natural refrigerants, de-ionized water production, and steam generation for sterilization, all managed through a computerized system,” Prof. Kiggundu said.
Representing Makerere University Vice Chancellor Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe, Professor Julia Kigozi, dean of the School of Food Technology, Nutrition, and Bio-Engineering, said the project reflects the university’s vision as a research-led institution contributing to Africa’s sustainable development.
“We are here to celebrate a landmark innovation that strengthens health systems in remote areas. Many health facilities still operate without reliable electricity or clean water. This project brings real, life-changing solutions,” Prof. Kigozi said, noting that only 28% of health facilities in Sub-Saharan Africa have reliable electricity.
Buvuma District leaders welcomed the initiative. District Chairperson Waswa Adrian Ddungu expressed gratitude to Makerere University and the European Union for prioritizing Buvuma.
“This facility now gives us hope. We pledge to maintain and protect this investment so it can continue to serve our people for generations,” he said.
Dr. Dyanabo Remigio, Senior Medical Officer and In-charge of Buvuma Health Centre IV, added that the project has already transformed hospital operations.
“We can now store blood and vaccines safely, sterilize equipment, and provide clean drinking water, all powered by solar energy. Before SophiA, we struggled to operate critical units like the laboratory and neonatal ward due to lack of electricity,” Dr. Dyanabo said.
With this installation, Buvuma Health Centre IV is now among the few island-based hospitals in Uganda with modern renewable energy infrastructure.
