Staying healthy and connected
Energy is a critical element when it comes to healthcare and communication in todays modern world. However, there are still millions of people around the world who do not have access to electricity and even more who rely on inefficient and unclean energy sources. We still have a long way to go to reach the Sustainable Development Goal of clean and affordable energy, but with emergence of COVID, theres an even greater reason to support sustainable energy access.
Health facilities require their equipment and utilities to be operational in order to treat patients with the proper care. Though without energy, these facilities cannot function to provide care for people in need, especially for those dealing with COVID-19. These ideas are expressed in the article “Energy access is needed to maintain health during pandemics” written by Vanesa Castán Broto and Joshua Kirshner, two environmental researchers studying energy access. In their article, they state, “Without access to reliable electricity, health workers must carry out work in near darkness, relying on kerosene lanterns, candles and mobile phones. Vaccines and medications needing refrigeration cannot be stored, and medical equipment and devices cannot be sterilized or used at all” (Broto and Kirshner, 2020). Without reliable energy sources to keep healthcare facilities fully operational, the workers of these facilities will not have the means to treat patients and store vaccinations. Essential components of emergency responses become compromised and the capability of these facilities to deal with massive outbreaks, such as the one we are currently in, becomes decreased. This is definitely detrimental to communities who struggle to afford energy or use outdated energy sources because without energy, they become vulnerable to spreading diseases.
The second main idea explained in the authors’ article is that due to the sudden and extended lockdown, many containment measures issued to states in the United States assume that there is enough available energy for essential communications. Yet, there are still communities who do not have adequate access to energy for communications which causes harm in the long run especially during the pandemic. In the article, Broto and Kirshner say, “Lack of energy access underpinning these forms of connectivity is particularly harmful during a pandemic and can be compounded by additional environmental stressors, civil unrest or market changes” (Broto and Kirshner, 2020). In other words, without the sufficient energy to support communications around the world, the tough situations that less fortunate communities must face will only be compounded and cause further troubles in their future. By reducing the cost of these mediated communication services, it will lead to both economic and consumer welfare benefits that are necessary to keep people connected.
Not only is sustainable energy necessary in healthcare, but in worldwide communications as well. By ignoring communities with less adequate energy sources and little communication, they are essentially blocked out from the rest of the world and left to fend for themselves. With appropriate communication and healthcare service, a community will be able to stay connected to the rest of the world and have assistance whenever needed.
Broto, V. C., & Kirshner, J. (2020, May/June). Energy access is needed to maintain health during pandemics. Retrieved March 11, 2021, from https://www-nature-com.gate.lib.buffalo.edu/articles/s41560-020-0625-6
