On World Health Day, the International Union of Architects (UIA), joins the World Health Organization (WHO) and the global community in addressing a critical and urgent issue: the health and well-being of mothers and newborns.
This year’s campaign “Healthy Beginnings, Hopeful Futures”, highlights the preventable loss of hundreds of thousands of lives every year due to complications related to pregnancy and childbirth. However, it also urges us to look beyond statistics — to reflect on the environments in which women carry life, give birth and recover.
Architecture plays a pivotal role in shaping these environments. Whether in hospitals, birth centres, community clinics, or homes, the built environment can provide safety, dignity and comfort — or exacerbate the stress and risks already present in vulnerable situations. Thoughtful design can enhance privacy, reduce anxiety, support healthcare professionals, and create spaces where women and families feel respected, cared for, and acknowledged.
Yet maternal and newborn health is not just a medical concern; it is a societal one. Access to healthcare is influenced by geography, infrastructure, and public policy. Many women around the world continue to face long journeys, inadequate transportation, or unsafe conditions when seeking care. Urban and rural planning must address the real needs of pregnant women and caregivers, ensuring access to walkable environments, shelter, green spaces, childcare, and mental health support.
Mental health is another often-overlooked aspect of the maternal journey. The spaces in which women give birth and recover —both physically and emotionally — must acknowledge the psychological dimensions of motherhood, including postpartum depression, grief, and trauma. Architecture can serve as a silent partner in healing or, conversely, as a source of distress.
The UIA is honoured to maintain its official relations with the WHO as a non-state actor and remains committed to supporting its mission through the lens of the built environment. We stand ready to collaborate with health professionals, policymakers, and communities to ensure that every woman and every child has the opportunity not only to survive, but to thrive — from healthy beginnings to hopeful futures.
To mark World Health Day 2025, the UIA will showcase architectural examples that reflect thoughtful, inclusive, and responsive design in support of maternal and neonatal health.
Click here to read these examples.