The energy of the sun and the power of human legs to improve health outcomes have Tanzanians looking toward a healthier future. On July 25, 2025, ICAP officially handed over 110 solar panels and 433 bicycles to selected health facilities across the Mwanza region. The handover took place at a ceremony held at the Mwanza Regional Commissioner’s Office. Among those in attendance were Mwanza regional commissioner, Hon. Said Mohammed Mtanda, regional administrative secretary, Balandya Mayuganya Elikana, Mwanza regional medical officer, Dr. Jesca Lebba, Mwanza Regional AIDS Control Coordinator, Kwandu Mashuda, and district medical officers.

With funding from the US President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) through Centers for Disease Control and Prevent, and close collaboration with the government of Tanzania, ICAP has provided the solar panels and bicycles to the Government of Tanzania to help Mwanza address infrastructural and health service delivery challenges, particularly in rural and underserved areas.

The solar panels are part of a phased initiative to improve energy access in health facilities across Mwanza and neighbouring Geita region. The installation of solar systems ensures consistent power supply, which is critical for the provision of essential health services, operation of digital health tools, and accurate data reporting. As many facilities in these regions either lack reliable electricity or are not connected to the national grid at all, solar power is proving to be a gamechanger for generating consistent electrical supply for critical health services.

In Phase 1 (2022/2023), ICAP installed 60 solar systems in health facilities across Mwanza. Phase 2 (2023/2024) saw the addition of 21 more systems. Building on the success of these efforts, the current Phase 3 will extend the initiative to 110 more facilities in the Mwanza region. Facilities have been extremely positive about the initiative, reporting lower electricity costs and better data quality, underscoring the value of sustainable energy solutions in health service delivery.

ICAP in Tanzania’s director of Finance and Administration, Godfrey Hoya (l), delivers solar panels to Hon. Said Mtanda, Mwanza regional commissioner.

In addition to the solar panels, ICAP delivered 433 bicycles intended to address transportation barriers that impede patient access and follow-up. Long distances and high travel costs often hinder people living with HIV from attending regular antiretroviral refill visits. The bicycles will be used by health care workers to trace clients who miss appointments, provide community ARV refills, conduct index testing among partners and biological children, and support continuity of care through active follow-up and outreach services.

Hon. Said Mtanda expressed his gratitude to ICAP, CDC, and PEPFAR for providing the bicycles and solar power systems to health facilities across Mwanza. He emphasized that the equipment should be used as intended to strengthen HIV/AIDS treatment, follow up clients, and conduct community outreach programs. Highlighting two decades of collaboration with ICAP, he affirmed that such support and partnerships are vital for improving health outcomes in the region.

ICAP has supported HIV care, treatment, and prevention in Tanzania since 2004. Currently, with funding from PEPFAR through CDC Tanzania, ICAP is implementing the “Sustain and Accelerate a Comprehensive HIV Response” project, also known as the FIKIA Plus Project, in the Mwanza and Geita regions. In Mwanza, ICAP supports 215 health facilities in Mwanza by providing lifesaving HIV services designed to achieve rapid acceleration of antiretroviral therapy initiation, to strengthen treatment continuity, and to improve HIV viral load suppression among people living with HIV.

“Through these efforts, ICAP continues to work closely with the Government of Tanzania and CDC to strengthen the national HIV response and improve health outcomes,” said Haruka Maruyama, MPH, ICAP’s country director in Tanzania. “The handover of solar panels and bicycles is a tangible step toward ensuring that quality HIV services reach even the most remote and underserved communities in Mwanza.”

About ICAP

A major global health organization that has been improving public health in countries around the world for two decades, ICAP works to transform the health of populations through innovation, science, and global collaboration. Based at Columbia Mailman School of Public Health, ICAP has projects in more than 40 countries, working side-by-side with ministries of health and local governmental, non-governmental, academic, and community partners to confront some of the world’s greatest health challenges. Through evidence-informed programs, meaningful research, tailored technical assistance, effective training and education programs, and rigorous surveillance to measure and evaluate the impact of public health interventions, ICAP aims to realize a global vision of healthy people, empowered communities, and thriving societies. Online at icap.columbia.edu