Remote health facilities across Vanuatu are now safer, brighter and better equipped, with Respond Global’s HELPR-1 team completing all planned solar installations under the Australian Government-funded REnew Pacific program in record time.
Delivered in partnership with Vanuatu’s National Green Energy Fund, the project installed 20 new off-grid solar systems and refurbished 20 more across all six provinces. The final installation took place at Mamalu Vanua Dispensary in Naviso, which had previously never had proper electrification.
The completion marks a major milestone for REnew Pacific, with HELPR-1 becoming the program’s first project to reach full completion since launching in March 2025. It brings reliable solar power to some of Vanuatu’s most remote clinics and hospitals, improving healthcare for more than 80,000 people.
Australian High Commissioner to Vanuatu, Max Willis, said HELPR-1’s completion is an early Christmas present for remote communities across the country.
“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 and what we can achieve together.
“Australia is pleased to support Vanuatu in powering its health facilities with clean, dependable solar energy. These systems strengthen the resilience of local services, ensure vital equipment can operate when needed and help communities overcome the challenges of distance and isolation. This is practical, life-changing infrastructure that will benefit Vanuatu for many years.”
The HELPR-1 project delivered upgrades tailored to each facility’s needs, 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 thanks to clean, reliable solar power. Local health and facility staff were also trained to operate and maintain the new systems, ensuring long-term reliability and strengthening capacity across remote islands.
Dr Basil Leodoro, Director of HELPR-1 Operations at Respond Global, said completing the installations is a milestone for community health nationwide. “When the power is stable, care is safer. With the Ministry of Health, the National Green Energy Fund and Australia’s REnew Pacific program beside us, we have been able to overcome significant logistical challenges and bring consistent, renewable power to facilities that serve some of the most remote islands in the country. 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 commitment to expanding clean, reliable off-grid renewable energy in rural and remote Pacific and Timor-Leste communities. It is part of the Pacific Climate Infrastructure Financing Partnership (PCIFP), a $350 million initiative focused on climate infrastructure in the region, delivered by the Australian Government’s Australian Infrastructure Financing Facility for the Pacific (AIFFP) and implemented by Palladium.
