2025 World Health Day: Safe Water Helps Mothers and Babies Thrive
In developing communities across the globe, healthcare facilities lack the water needed to safely deliver new life into the world, putting mothers and newborns at risk of infections and illnesses.
This year’s World Health Day, observed annually on April 7, will kickstart the World Health Organization’s year-long campaign on maternal and newborn health, with the goal of "helping every woman and baby survive and thrive.” Water Mission aims to help women and newborns thrive by providing safe water for a safer birth experience, whether in the home, a hospital, or a clinic.
One woman dies every two minutes from preventable causes related to pregnancy and childbirth. This is 800 maternal deaths each day.*
*According to The Sustainable Development Goals Report 2022 and WHO
Marilyn lives in Nueva Esperanza, Honduras, a remote community near the city of El Progreso. When our team met her, she was eight months pregnant with her first son, whom she planned to name Yeshua.
Marilyn, eight months pregnant, planned to give birth at Hospital El Progreso, where Water Mission installed a safe water project last year.
Years ago, the wells in Nueva Esperanza dried up, and Marilyn found herself without water, much less safe water. She expressed that raising a baby in this environment would be complicated.
Although Marilyn was still waiting on safe water in her community, she did have access to safe water at her baby’s birth. In September 2024, Water Mission finished a safe water project at Hospital El Progreso, where Marilyn planned to deliver her son. The hospital’s project serves approximately 10,000 people per month.
Before Water Mission implemented a safe water project, the hospital lacked sufficient water for staff to perform their services, and patients suffered.
Dr. Andy Rosales has worked at Hospital El Progreso for 24 years. He shared, “If we don't have water, we can't wash our hands, we can't use the toilet, we can't wash our clothes, [and] we can't have running water for the operating room.... The probability that [a] patient has an infection from the surgery is also higher.”
Globally, one in five healthcare facilities lack basic water services, and half lack basic hygiene services.*
*According to a 2023 WHO report
Dr. Rosales said he rejoiced when he heard about the project to be installed at his hospital.
Dr. Andy Rosales has worked at Hospital El Progreso for many years, and he said he has already seen an impact since receiving consistent access to safe water last year.
“The impact is extremely great to have a project that provides us with water, permanently, 24 hours a day,” he said. “It solves a big problem, just helping us comply with the nature of the institution: first, to take care of the patients who come, and second, to avoid [them] getting an infection in the hospital.”
This includes providing quality, hygienic care for mothers like Marilyn coming to the hospital to give birth.
Now, the doctors and nurses at Hospital El Progreso have safe water to wash their hands, clean linens, sanitize medical tools, and provide the best possible care for their patients.
“We are a health institution that intends to adhere to the standardization of [a] clean birth. “If the mother has hygienic conditions, the newborn has less risk of acquiring infections.... If there is permanent water, that possibility [of infection] is reduced.”
Thanks to the generosity of our faithful partners, the hospital in which Marilyn planned to give birth has abundant safe water. This allows mothers like her to deliver in a sanitary environment where babies can immediately be bathed with clean, safe water.
Marilyn and her newborn son will soon have safe water piped directly to their home in Nueva Esperanza, thanks to our generous partners.
With access to safe water, mothers and babies can thrive.
This World Health Day, join us in working toward Sustainable Development Goal 3 — that all people of all ages have healthy lives and well-being. You can support the health of women and babies around the world by participating in our mission to provide them with access to safe water. Will you partner with us today?
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