LocationsSESEHA’s Impact on Rural Healthcare
April 12, 2026
Shekiba is visiting the patient in Naw Niaz clinic – Char Asiab, Kabul
“I was in labour that evening and came to the clinic to deliver my child. If the necessary facilities hadn’t been available here, I would have had to travel much further, which could have put our lives at serious risk.” Says Nasima, resident of Naw Niaz village.
Nasima gave birth to her fifth child at Naw Niaz Clinic, located just 15 minutes from her home. The clinic is located in Naw Niaz village, part of the Char Asiab district in Kabul province.
Before the new solar system was installed, giving birth at the clinic during emergencies, especially at night or in winter, posed serious risks due to the lack of lighting and heating. Now, with stable electricity, even nighttime deliveries can be handled safely, and essential equipment is available when needed.
Nasima regularly visits the clinic to ensure the well-being of her newborn child, Char Asiab, Kabul
In addition to serving the local community, the clinic also receives patients from surrounding villages. However, in many emergency cases, especially those involving pregnant women and children, residents had no choice but to travel to the district center of Char Asiab for medical care.
“Pregnant women faced many challenges, particularly during the winter,” said Shekiba, a midwife at Naw Niaz Clinic. As she stood up and returned to her desk to attend to a patient, she added, “We couldn’t use electric heaters, so we had to rely on basic wood-burning stoves. These are neither safe nor recommended for mothers giving birth, or for newborn babies.”
Recognizing the urgent needs of both the community and the clinic, UNDP, through the SESEHA project, equipped Naw Niaz Clinic with 16 solar panels, generating 8.8 kw amount of electricity which is sufficient to meet the clinic’s operational requirements.
Sustainable Energy Services for Education and Health in Afghanistan (SESEHA) aims to support educational facilities with better lighting and energy resources to improve learning environments and ensure that health facilities have the necessary energy to operate essential medical equipment and provide quality health services.
UNDP also provided the responsible staff of health facility with the required training on operation and maintenance of the solar power system.
"On average, 60 to 70 patients receive treatment at the clinic each day. In the past, it was difficult to provide quality healthcare services due to the lack of electricity. But now, with the solar system in place, we can finally use electricity-powered medical equipment that was previously unusable," says Abdul Bashir Noori, head of Naw Niaz Clinic.
The clinic primarily provides healthcare services for pregnant women and children.
Abdul Bashir Noori is actively managing the operations of the clinic in Char Asiab, Kabul.
Since the installation of the solar power system, residents of Naw Niaz and surrounding villages now have access to reliable, quality healthcare services at the local clinic. Approximately 1400 households are benefiting from the improved services greatly enhancing the well-being of the community, especially pregnant women, newborns, and children who are the most vulnerable. This success is part of a wider effort, with 30 health facilities supported under the SESEHA program in the central region in 2023-2024, bringing reliable healthcare to thousands of families and empowering nearly 56,000 women.
Stories like Nasima’s reflect the wider change taking root across Afghanistan’s rural communities. With 30 health facilities now supported under SESEHA, these efforts are lighting the way to a healthier, more hopeful future for thousands of families—bringing safety, dignity, and real hope to mothers, children, and entire communities in need.
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