Solar-Powered Blood Transfusion System

Still In Development Last Update: January 10, 2011

Blood transfusion is essential for preventing maternal death from postpartum hemorrhage but blood bank refrigeration is a problem in areas without reliable electricity. With funding from the Cloverleaf Foundation, Pathfinder International developed a solar-powered system to address this problem. Three solar panels and a battery refrigerate up to 200 pints of blood and provide power to labor and delivery rooms as well as a laboratory. Pathfinder will pilot this system in Nigeria and pursue funding to expand once the system is fully functional in Nigeria.

In many developing countries, blood transfusions may take place in health centers or district hospitals that do not have access to the national electricity grid. In some health facilities, the electricity generator for a health centre may only be used after sunset.
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