Assessing the impacts of sufficient and reliable electricity in low-resource healthcare facilities

Reliable electricity is essential for safe, effective healthcare, yet over one billion people worldwide rely on facilities with no access to electricity, or access to unreliable power. Using survey data, power-sensor data, and monthly health records from 303 facilities in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, we show that sufficient and reliable electricity substantially improves patient outcomes. Facilities with sufficient and reliable power (22 h per day) experience a 41% reduction in mortality, along with higher patient utilization and staffing levels. Even in facilities with generally reliable power, mortality rises in months when reliability drops below this threshold. These findings highlight electricity’s foundational role in life-saving care and show that low-cost surveys can guide data-driven electrification investments.