Visualizing the Role of Midwives in Planetary Health: A Proposed Graphic Model

Climate change and ecological degradation pose growing threats to public health, with profound consequences for birthing individuals and fetal and newborn outcomes. Planetary health provides a framework for understanding the interdependence between environmental systems and human well-being, underscoring the responsibility of health care professionals to engage in sustainable and equitable care practices. Midwives, with their holistic, preventive, and relationship-centered approach, are well suited to respond to these challenges. This article introduces a graphic model that illustrates how midwifery practice contributes to planetary health through the integration of ecological awareness, social justice, and community-centered care. Informed by planetary health principles and midwifery philosophies and core competencies, the model highlights the profession's role in addressing interconnected environmental, social, and health challenges in a sustainable manner. Although attention to social and environmental determinants of health has long been central to midwifery, planetary health concepts have not yet been systematically embedded in midwifery education or clinical frameworks. The proposed model makes visible the ways planetary health is already reflected in midwifery practice while identifying opportunities for expansion, including attention to environmental exposures and advocacy for climate-resilient care systems. By visually articulating the relationship between midwifery and planetary health, the model serves as a tool for reflection, education, and action, supporting midwives in advancing care grounded in ecological responsibility and social equity.