Solar power helps an Indian state vaccinate

Phoolwati Devi, 30, an accredited social health activist (ASHA) from Vardara village in the northern Rajasthan state of India, recalls ruefully how she had to discard a whole batch of COVID vaccine vials as the shots were spoiled.

The village, with a population of nearly 7,000 people, is tough to reach and is located around 340 kilometers (211 miles) from the state capital Jaipur.

“It was at the height of the second wave of COVID last year and people in the village needed the vaccines. But because of high temperatures and no electricity at the primary health center, I had to throw out the entire batch of doses,” Devi said.