The importance of bringing renewable resources to developing countries has been a growing need over the past decade; one that has had been profound to millions. Not only has this stimulated economies and protect cultural ecology, it has had a huge impact on the better health and overall wellness of those who have been impacted by this ideology.
Supporting rural communities with renewable energy, such as portable solar panels, have proven not only to be beneficial in providing energy to remote places, it has also has a great impact on the health of these communities too. One of the greatest places of impact this has had is providing a much cleaner source of energy within the home. Before these resources were available, communities relayed on burning lamps, often fueled by kerosene, in order to provide light within their homes. Moving away from this technology of burning kerosene and towards a solar solutions have prevented accidental burns, respiratory infections, lung and throat cancers, serious eye infections, cataracts as well as low birth weights.
Utilizing Solar Energy & Respiratory Benefits
Acute respiratory infections like influenza and pneumonia kill nearly 2 million children in developing nations each year. At that staggering rate, that is more than the yearly number of deaths from all ages and causes within the European Union. The main cause of death for a child in developing countries is pneumonia, with above 25% of each of these children having an episode of clinical pneumonia annually until the age of five. Developing countries have fought off these issues by raising the nutritional and living standards. Beyond the help of modern medicine, with cleaner forms of energy, rural communities are finding ways in decreasing this huge death rate by preparing healthier ways of cooking food and providing needed light for their home with the use of cleaner energy.
Providing solar chargers to doctors in remote areas of developing countries have also fought with combating pneumonia. Take a look at Dr. Michael Hawkes, an assistant professor at the University of Alberta, when his team in 2016 was identified as the first to provide solar-powered oxygen delivery treatment to pneumonia-stricken children in Africa. Dr. Hawkes' team invested in this type of technology for harvesting solar energy in Uganda is easy accomplished, readily available, very portable, and more reliable then the regional hydro-electric grid.