The Webinar recording is now available to watch here!

A synopsis of the webinar can be viewed HERE

Overview

In an era where healthcare systems face increasing pressure from rising patient needs and the escalating impacts of climate change, the intersection of quality care, health outcomes, and space considerations has become more critical than ever. While clinical innovations and operational improvements have traditionally been the focus of healthcare strategies, the role of physical space in influencing health-seeking behaviors and outcomes is often overlooked. However, the design and layout of healthcare facilities play a pivotal role in delivering effective, compassionate, and sustainable care.

The World Health Organization (WHO) emphasizes this in its technical brief on "Strategic Health Infrastructure Investments to Support Universal Health Coverage." Universal Health Coverage (UHC) is grounded in the principle that appropriate infrastructure is essential. Health facilities that are wellmaintained, properly furnished, and offer local populations a sense of security encourage people to seek medical care with confidence. However, in many regions, the infrastructure supporting healthcare remains minimal or substandard. By investing in health infrastructure today, we can reform systems and create a foundation for sustainable healthcare delivery. Gaps in one part of the system often lead to a domino effect that undermines the entire service chain. Therefore, a comprehensive and well-rounded approach to infrastructure is vital to strengthening overall service delivery.

Climate change adds another layer of urgency to the discussion of healthcare infrastructure, as systems must now adapt to extreme weather conditions, rising temperatures, and resource scarcity. To ensure facilities remain resilient, integrating climate-conscious design into healthcare infrastructure is critical. This involves not only preparing for the impacts of climate change but also creating sustainable environments that improve patient care and operational efficiency. Healthcare facilities must be fit for their intended use—safe, operational, climate-resilient, and equipped to handle crises and disasters. By doing so, they can continue to provide high-quality care even in the face of environmental challenges.

Innovative design can enhance patient-centered care, increase safety, and promote healing, while also making healthcare systems more adaptable to future challenges. By recognizing the importance of space, we can reimagine healthcare facilities as dynamic environments that improve outcomes for both patients and healthcare providers and contribute to the fight against climate change. To achieve this, it is essential to systematically adopt maintenance budgets and conduct environmental impact assessments. Furthermore, infrastructure design must be flexible enough to accommodate future needs and evolving requirements.

The Delivering More initiative, led by IHI and MASS Design Group, stands as a leading example of this vision. Focused on transforming maternal and newborn healthcare in LMICs, it demonstrates how thoughtful, climate-resilient design can enhance care delivery, improve health outcomes, and ensure sustainability in countries most vulnerable to climate change.

This WHO-hosted webinar explores why space matters, demonstrating case studies from Bangladesh, Ethiopia, and Kenya. It highlights how well-designed spaces can drive improvements in patient experience, clinical outcomes, operational efficiency, and climate resilience.

Key Objectives

The key objectives of the webinar are to:

✓ Understand why space matters and why designing it should not move ahead without climate considerations

✓ Understand how well-designed space could be an enabler for improved Quality of Care.

✓ Learn how space can influence health seeking behaviors and lead to better experience of care for care seekers, their families and the community

✓ Understand how space interventions can help systems to address the climate and resilience agenda

✓ Explore through case studies how a practical and pragmatic approach can be used to drive efficiency and effectiveness through the system. Focus on how an integrated road map can be developed to implement space changes

Key Themes

1. Climate-Resilient Healthcare Design As climate change increasingly impacts health systems worldwide, designing climate-resilient healthcare facilities has become essential. To enhance climate resilience and ensure safe, functional, and user-friendly healthcare environments, extensive retrofitting, refurbishing, and maintenance initiatives must be supported. This session will explore strategies to reduce carbon emissions, improve energy efficiency, adopt eco-friendly products, and implement effective waste management. Healthcare infrastructure must be prepared to withstand various risks, ensuring that facilities remain intact, accessible, and fully operational before, during, and after emergencies or disasters. Key examples, such as the climate-resilient Group Antenatal Care (Group ANC) design in Kenya, will illustrate how natural airflow can reduce energy consumption, enhance comfort, and maintain operational continuity during crises.

2. Space as a Catalyst for Better Quality of Care Healthcare space design plays a transformative role in improving the quality of care. By highlighting how space interventions enhance operational efficiency, alleviate care delivery bottlenecks, and enrich the experiences of both patients and families, we will demonstrate the impact of thoughtful healthcare layouts. Examples of well-designed spaces will showcase how reducing overcrowding, promoting patient privacy, and streamlining workflows can ultimately drive better clinical outcomes. The webinar will also explore practical strategies for developing integrated roadmaps to implement these space transformations within healthcare systems. Strengthening the capacity of ministries of health, finance, and local development, along with other organizations, to lead evidence-based policy discussions is crucial. This requires the development of robust information systems, as well as the necessary skills and tools. When making investment decisions, it is important to consider their impacts on the environment, economy, society, and health.

3. Local Solutions for Climate-Resilient Healthcare This session will emphasize the use of locally sourced materials to lower emissions and improve durability. We will also highlight opportunities to integrate climate resilience into facility design, such as developing standards for sustainable practices and establishing healthcare referral networks that minimize travel and reduce carbon emissions. Case studies from Ethiopia and Kenya will demonstrate how climate-resilient spaces can enhance health outcomes while addressing broader environmental challenges, ensuring that healthcare infrastructure meets both clinical needs and community realities. When evaluating and planning capacity across a population, hospital beds alone are not an adequate indicator. Instead, decisions should be based on a national Universal Health Coverage (UHC) service package, clear delineation of functional roles and connections between facilities, and local specificities. Additionally, data on vulnerability to climate change impacts should inform these requirements.

4. Human-Centered Design for Maternal and Newborn Health Explore how the Delivering More initiative utilizes Human-Centered Design principles to create healthcare environments that are responsive, patient-centered, and climate-resilient. By collaborating with local users and incorporating local building practices, this approach ensures that healthcare facilities meet the unique needs of the communities they serve. Case studies from Bangladesh, Ethiopia, and Kenya will demonstrate how design elements such as improved layouts for Kangaroo Mother Care and spaces for diverse birthing positions have enhanced maternal and newborn health outcomes. Special emphasis will be placed on design interventions that support family-centered care and patient dignity.

5. The Influence of Climate on Health-Seeking Behaviors This session will delve into how climate conditions influence health-seeking behaviors—an often overlooked yet critical factor in healthcare design. The Delivering More initiative has developed an updated toolkit to help better understand and integrate climate-related influences into healthcare planning. By gathering enhanced patient feedback, healthcare facilities can be designed to ensure they remain accessible and welcoming, even amidst fluctuating environmental conditions. This approach ensures that healthcare infrastructure adapts not only to clinical needs but also to the realities of the communities they serve. Effective infrastructure design directly impacts patient flow: when done well, it increases efficiency; when done poorly, it can lead to bottlenecks and congestion.

Target Audience

➢ Policymakers, experts, practitioners focused on improved quality of care

➢ WHO Country Teams focused on Maternal and Newborn Health, Health System Strengthening, and Immunization.

➢ Global Health Experts, including those involved in climate adaptation, sustainable design, and healthcare innovation.

➢ Representatives from local organizations and international donors involved in supporting healthcare systems in LMICs.

Moderator:

• Pierre Barker MD, Chief Scientific Officer, IHI and Clinical Professor, Maternal and Child Health, University of North Carolina

Speakers

• Blerta Maliqi, Unit Head for Quality of Care at the World Health Organization (WHO)

• Minara Chowdhury, Senior Director Global Delivery, IHI and Project Lead for Delivering More

• Amie Shao, Principal, MASS Design Group • Hema Magge, MD. MS, Senior Program Officer, Innovation to Scale, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation

• Professor Dr. Mohammod Shahidullah, President, Bangladesh College of Physicians & Surgeons (BCPS)

• Dr. Abas Hassen, Lead Executive Officer, Innovation and Quality, MOH, Ethiopia 

• Dr. Anuradha Pichumani, ISQua Board Member

• Hema Magge, Senior Program Officer, Africa Health Team, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation