Remote health facilities across Vanuatu are now safer, brighter, and better equipped, following the completion of all planned solar installations under the Australian Government-funded REnew Pacific program.
Respond Global’s HELPR-1 team completed the project in record time, delivering Vanuatu’s first fully operational REnew Pacific project since the program launched in March 2025.
The initiative, carried out in partnership with Vanuatu’s National Green Energy Fund, installed 20 new off-grid solar systems and refurbished 20 existing systems across all six provinces. The final installation was completed at Mamalu Vanua Dispensary in Naviso, which had never before had proper electrification.
HELPR-1 now provides reliable solar power to some of Vanuatu’s most remote clinics and hospitals, improving healthcare access for more than 80,000 people.
Australian High Commissioner to Vanuatu, Max Willis, described the project as “an early Christmas present for remote communities.”
“As one of the first REnew Pacific projects to start and the first to finish, HELPR-1 shows the strength of the Vanuatu-Australia partnership,” he said. “These systems strengthen local health services, ensure vital equipment can operate when needed, and help communities overcome the challenges of distance and isolation.”
The project delivered upgrades tailored to each facility, including energy-efficient lighting, battery systems, water pumps, and priority medical equipment. Facilities such as Quatvaes Hospital and Saramauri Health Centre can now operate x-ray machines, ultrasounds, and other diagnostic tools for the first time. Local health workers were trained to maintain the new systems, ensuring long-term reliability.
Dr Basil Leodoro, Director of HELPR-1 Operations at Respond Global, said: “When the power is stable, care is safer. This work means more emergencies handled on site, safer deliveries for mothers and babies, and greater confidence for our health workers every day.”
REnew Pacific is the Australian Government’s $75 million program to expand off-grid renewable energy in rural and remote communities across the Pacific and Timor-Leste. It is part of the $350 million Pacific Climate Infrastructure Financing Partnership (PCIFP) and is implemented by Palladium through the Australian Infrastructure Financing Facility for the Pacific (AIFFP).
