Lighting the Path to Survival: Investigating the Effect of Renewable Energy on Child Mortality in Africa

Abstract

ABSTRACT Achieving Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 3 on good health and well‐being and SDG 7 on affordable and clean energy remains a pressing challenge in Africa, where child mortality rates remain among the highest globally and access to clean, sustainable energy is limited. While renewable energy is widely recognized for its environmental and economic benefits, its potential role in improving child survival outcomes has received limited empirical attention in the African context, creating a gap in the literature on how clean energy transitions intersect with public health. In an attempt to fill this gap and provide actionable solutions, the present study investigates the effect of renewable energy consumption on neonatal, infant, and under‐five mortality rates across 52 African countries from 2000 to 2022. Using both Driscoll and Kraay as well as IV‐GMM estimation techniques, and validating results with the Oster stability test, the analysis finds that higher renewable energy adoption is significantly associated with reductions in all three mortality measures. These results are robust to multiple sensitivity checks, including alternative indicators and the addition of key health‐related control variables. Mediation analysis further reveals that internet access and climate finance partially transmit the beneficial effects of renewable energy on child survival. The study provides evidence‐based policy recommendations to guide African governments in leveraging renewable energy expansion as a tool for improving child health outcomes.