From Outages to Outcomes: How Availability and Reliability of Electricity Shapes Health in Jharkhand
This working paper studies the role of reliable electricity in health care at the facility-level in Jharkhand. Drawing on data on electricity availability and health outcomes, it finds that investments in electrical infrastructure have the potential to improve service delivery and equitable access to public health care.
While the linkages between energy access (SDG 7) and universal health coverage (SDG 3) are well-established, evidence from facility-level studies in India remains limited.
This working paper combines primary data on electricity availability and reliability with secondary data on health services and outcomes from public health facilities in two districts of Jharkhand.
It finds that unreliable electricity compromises health care service delivery, exacerbating the inequitable access to health care that marginalized populations, especially those in remote rural areas, already face.
It also highlights the importance of strengthening local infrastructure through reliable grid connections, renewable energy systems and energy-efficient appliances to improve health care outcomes and expand equitable access to care.
