New Delhi, Apr 07, 2023, SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT/ TT
New Delhi, Apr 7: Tripura is among all the states in the North-eastern region selected by the IKEA Foundation for upgradation of primary health facilities by 2026.
The IKEA Foundation and the SELCO Foundation have decided to sustainably upgrade 25,000 primary health facilities in 12 states of the country by 2026.
Besides Tripura, Assam, Meghalaya, Manipur, Mizoram, Nagaland, Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim in the NE region, the other states are Gujarat, Odisha, Jharkhand, Karnataka.
The initiative aims to reach over 170 million people across 12 states and improve working conditions for over 160,000 front line health staff at these health facilities. It will mitigate over 3 million tonnes of CO2e emissions over a 20-year period.
The programme will add 100MW of solar energy capacity with initial funding of 48 million Euro from the IKEA Foundation, said a joint statement.
"The initiative will create systems and processes in collaboration with the government health departments for ownership, management, and regular maintenance of the energy systems and appliances. It will also result in knowledge products and resources to enable other states to replicate the initiative," it said.
This is in partnership with the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW), Government of India, the National Health Mission and State Health Departments, it added.
"This initiative will improve healthcare outcomes and reduce emissions across India, by providing reliable and renewable energy to thousands of clinics throughout the country. We hope its success can serve as a model for building effective and efficient health systems globally," Per Heggenes, CEO of IKEA Foundation said.
"These will directly contribute to India's Net Zero targets, while also helping meet its Universal Health Coverage goals," it said.
Harish Hande, CEO of SELCO Foundation said: "Decentralised Renewable Energy in health centers will lead to democratization of essential services by making them affordable and accessible."
This programme focuses not only on improving the Country's health indicators but also on bolstering the ongoing Government efforts to decentralise and democratise healthcare provision in the country while improving its sustainability.
IKEA Foundation is a strategic philanthropy that focuses its grant-making efforts on tackling the two biggest threats to children's futures: poverty and climate change. IKEA Foundation is funded by INGKA Foundation, owner of the Ingka Group of companies, which owns and operates IKEA retail stores in 30 countries.