SoPHIA Project Commissions Solar-Powered Innovation to Transform Healthcare at Buvuma HCIV

By Wasswa Zebio

The SoPHIA project, worth billions of shillings, has officially been commissioned at Buvuma HCIV, marking a historic milestone for the district and Uganda at large. The state-of-the-art solar-powered facility, capable of generating 35 kilowatts of power, was constructed by Makerere University with funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Programme.

This cutting-edge installation is the only one of its kind in Uganda and places the country among four African nations—Uganda, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, and Malawi—benefiting from the SoPHIA initiative. The project seeks to address long-standing challenges in the health sector by providing reliable power, clean water, cooling facilities, and sustainable energy solutions.

While presiding over the commissioning, Dr. Julia Kigozi, Dean of the School of Technology, Nutrition and Bioengineering at Makerere University, represented the Vice Chancellor. She explained that Buvuma was chosen because of its persistent struggles with electricity and healthcare challenges. Dr. Kigozi urged the community to value the facility, noting: _”I would love to see this project managed well so that it can last longer. Although it is guaranteed to last about 25 years without issues, if it is mishandled, it won’t last.”

short for *Sustainable Off-grid solutions for Pharmacies and Hospitals in Africa is designed to provide better healthcare services through clean energy technologies, purified water, and modern cooling systems.

Dr. Nicholas Kiggundu, Professor of Agriculture and Biosystems Engineering at Makerere University and lead researcher for the project, emphasized the broad benefits the facility will bring. He revealed that the solar-powered system is already supporting essential services:

This project has already extended power to the neonatal section of the maternity. The facility has capacity to purify 5,000 litre of water daily, which is 10,000 bottles if packaged.”

He further noted the uniqueness of the innovation which  have been able to support the health centre to provide deionized water essential for medical purposes. Health facilities in remote areas face challenges accessing deionized water especially when there is a delay in supply… The cooling chamber is 25m². It shall help us a lot to preserve vaccines and Blood plasma at -30°c.

The project includes advanced monitoring through SCADA (Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition) technology, ensuring efficient management. In addition, a smaller 2-kilowatt power station was set up at Lukale Health Centre III to extend the benefits of renewable energy to another facility in the district.

Local leaders hailed the initiative as a transformative turning point for healthcare in Buvuma. The District Chairperson, Wasswa Adrian Ddungu, thanked Makerere University and the European Union for selecting Buvuma, stressing that the project would uplift health service delivery across the district.

Deputy Resident District Commissioner, Kato Dauda, in his remarks appealed to the community saying that they shoud treat the venture as a lovely baby.

Chief Administrative Officer, Mr. Isa Mbooge, also praised the project, noting that it would significantly boost healthcare services in the area.

To ensure sustainability, two personnel were trained to run the system on a day-to-day basis, while a water user committee was established to oversee management. The commissioning ceremony was attended by district leaders, Makerere University administrators, civil servants, community members, and students.