Faith-Based Action

Faith-Based Action is a sub-group of the Community of Practice on WASH in Health Care Facilities, hosted by UNC.

Faith-based organizations are critical to ensuring all health care facilities, everywhere have access to basic WASH services. The faith-based action sub-group of the WASH in Healthcare Facilities Community of Practice offers a space for faith-based organizations to connect, share and learn.

Commitments

Participants in the 2026 Faith-Based Gathering in Rome have shared their progress and announced their commitments to WASH in HCFs in advance of the meeting. Read more here.

Those stakeholders (both faith-based and secular) who are interested in providing a brief report on their progress and future commitments are encouraged to complete this brief four question form. These updates will be added to this document (updated as of April 20, 2026).

Events

Committed to WASH in Healthcare Facilities – A Gathering in Rome of Faith-Based Organizations and Allies to Accelerate Progress

Convened by Caritas Internationalis, Catholic Relief Services, Daughters of Charity, Global Ministries/United Methodist Committee on Relief, Doctors with Africa (CUAMM), Catholic Health Association of the United States, Anglican Communion Health and Community Network, African Christian Health Associations Platform, Accord Network

Under the Patronage of the Vatican’s Dicastery for Integral Human Development

Date: Wednesday April 22 and Thursday April 23
Time: 9:00 – 17:00 CEST

Rome_WASH_Meeting_Report_April_2026Download


The event was livestreamed in English, French, Spanish and Italian. View the playlist of all recordings in English here, and click on the full English, French, Spanish, and Italian recordings below:

Full English recording – day 1
Full English recording – day 2
French recording – day 1
French recording – day 2
Spanish recording – day 1
Spanish recording – day 2
Italian recording – day 1
Italian recording – day 2

Faith-based health systems are responsible for operating 20% to 40% of the healthcare facilities in many low-income countries. The Catholic Church itself is the largest unified provider of essential healthcare services in the world. As part of its mission, in 2019 the Vatican’s Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development launched an Initiative to improve WASH conditions in Catholic-run HCFs. Encouraged by the Dicastery’s Initiative, numerous faith-inspired communities are now assessing WASH deficits and implementing locally-sustained WASH infrastructure and practices within their own networks of hospitals and clinics.

At this meeting, leading Catholic entities were joined by Anglican, Evangelical, Methodist, and other Christian participants, as well as Jewish and Muslim leaders, to highlight significant progress and announce new commitments to strengthen the functioning, training, reporting and funding of WASH in HCFs. The list of participating organizations can be found here.

Pope Leo XIV issued a statement of support, sending “the assurance of his spiritual closeness to the members of the health agencies and networks attending the gathering on improving water, sanitation and hygiene in healthcare facilities.” He further states he is “pleased to see so many organizations of various faith backgrounds working together on this pressing issue and seeking to improve the living standards of our brothers and sisters” and imparted his Apostolic Blessing.

Sarah Mullally, the Archbishop of Canterbury (and a former nurse) issued the video statement below, saying she was “encouraged by the work already underway to strengthen Anglican health facilities in several countries with more to come. I encourage all across our communion to support this vital work…I pray that this meeting will help extend these efforts bringing lasting improvements to many more communities around the world.”  

Agenda Day 1 – April 22

9:00 – 10:15Opening Prayer, Welcome & Introductions
10:15 – 10:30Overview & Scene-Setting
10:30 – 11:10The Vatican’s Catholic WASH in Health Care Facility Initiative
11:10 – 11:40Coffee Break
11:40 – 12:30Caritas Internationalis Members’ Involvement in the Vatican’s WASH in HCF Initiative
12:30 – 1:00Plenary Reflections
1:00 – 2:30 Lunch
2:30 – 3:30Advancing the Vatican’s Initiative on WASH in Health Care Facilities
3:30 – 4:20Celebration of Catholic Sisters
4:20 – 4:50Where Do We Go From Here?
4:50 – 5:00Day 1 Close & Prayer 
Agenda Day 2 – April 23

9:00 – 9:30 Opening Prayer, Welcome & Day 2 Summary
9:30 – 10:40Religious Institutions Supporting Health Care Facilities
10:40 – 11:10Coffee Break
11:10 – 11:40The Role of Christian Health Associations 
11:40 – 12:50Faith-Based Organizations in Support of WASH in Healthcare Facilities
12:50 – 1:50Lunch
1:50 – 2:10 Plenary Reflections
2:10 – 2:40Secular Partners Supporting Faith-Based Action
2:40 – 3:40Scaling Public and Faith-Based Collaboration to Serve Local Health Needs
3:40 – 4:10Resources to Support Ongoing Progress
4:10 – 5:00Next Steps and Closing

Faith-Based Resources


Previous meetings, commitments, and advocacy resources

  1. Timeline: Ten years of progress in healthcare facilities (2026)
  2. Meeting summary and outcomes from Gathering of Faith-Based Organizations at the National Cathedral (2025)
  3. Progress report: Leading on WASH in healthcare facilities: Progress report on faith-inspired action and results (2021)
  4. WASH in Health care facilities initiative – Vatican Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development (2021)
  5. Water, sanitation and hygiene in healthcare facilities: Stakeholder commitments (2019)
  6. Gathering of 40 Faith-based Organizations: Outcomes report (2019)
  7. WASH in Healthcare Facilities Community of Practice (join the listserv here)
  8. WASH Circuit Riders Community of Practice (join the listserv here)
  9. Updates for Rome – CICIAMS