Solar Panels as an EnvironmentallySustainable Solution to Enhance the Rightto Health for Women in Rural Tanzania: A Comparative Case Study Analysis of Three Hospitals
2022 (English)Independent thesis Advanced level (degree of Master (One Year)), 10 credits / 15 HE credits
Student thesis
Abstract [en]
The following research will provide a case study analysis of how solar panels as a renewableenergy source are able to contribute to the possibility for women to claim their right to healthin Tanzania. Maternal healthcare is as part of the Universal Declaration of Human Rightssomething that should be granted to women all over the world. However, the right to health isnot always within reach for women. The 2030 Agenda aims to reduce maternal mortality whiletaking into account the planetary limits. As Tanzania is developing into a more matureeconomy, increased electrical connectivity is in line with the development, but the country isstill experiencing high numbers of maternal mortality. Low connectivity can limit hospitals intheir possibility to give quality care. Due to the high solar intensity in sub-Saharan Africa, thereis a lot of potential to use this energy for an off-the-grid energy supply. Therefore, the presentedresearch aims to investigate through a case study analysis of three hospitals in rural Tanzaniahow electrification through solar panels can influence the possibility to claim the right to healthfor women. One of these hospitals is completely reliant on the national grid and has no solarpanels at all, one hospital in transition to become completely reliant on solar panels, and onehospital has already installed solar panels and uses them as a primary source of power.Experiences of how their staff views the effects of these power sources on their care deliveryhave been collected and analysed with the help of a human rights-based approach, analysingthe availability, accessibility, acceptability, and quality of care through this framework.Through the analysis of the cases reviewed, it can be said that the solar panels have direct effectsin terms of availability of care but limited potential indirect effects on the possibility to increasethe accessibility, acceptability, and quality of care. Analysing the possibility for women to claimtheir right to care through this framework, it can be said that solar panels are limited inenhancing the possibility for women to claim their right to health.
Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
2022. , p. 48
Keywords [en]
Maternal Health, Availability, Accessibility, Acceptability, Quality of Care, Human Rights, Sustainable Healthcare, Solar Panels, Rural, Tanzania.
National Category
Social Sciences Health Sciences
Identifiers
URN: urn:nbn:se:lnu:diva-116847OAI: oai:DiVA.org:lnu-116847DiVA, id: diva2:1703352
External cooperation
LM International
Educational program
Peace and Development Work, Master Programme, 60 credits
Supervisors
2022-11-152022-10-132022-11-15Bibliographically approved