Health Care and Clean Water: April 23, 2026

Clean Water. “There is that well-known ‘rule of threes’: we can survive about three weeks without food, about three days without water, and only a few minutes without oxygen. Water sits right at the heart of human survival. But it is not just about having water, it is about having enough and having it safely. Quantity matters, but quality matters just as much. Waterborne diseases remain one of the greatest killers, especially in Africa. So when we speak about water, we are speaking about life, health, and dignity.”

Health Care and Clean Water

Caritas Internationalis brought a strong grassroots voice to one of the most urgent challenges in global health this week, as more than 100 faith leaders, health experts and practitioners convened in Rome for a landmark two-day conference on water, sanitation and hygiene in healthcare facilities.

Held on 22–23 April under the patronage of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development, Committed to WASH in Healthcare Facilities – A Gathering in Rome of Faith-Based Organizations and Allies to Accelerate Progress drew together voices from across the world to renew their commitment to delivering services related to water, health, and sanitation.

Some recent data were also discussed: across 60 countries analysed by a collective survey, 37% of health facilities lack basic water services and 81% lack adequate sanitation — conditions that drive infections, maternal and infant mortality, and entirely preventable disease. Faith-based organisations, which in some regions provide up to half of all healthcare services, are increasingly recognised as essential to closing that gap.

Representing Caritas Internationalis, Secretary General Alistair Dutton grounded the discussion in technical expertise and professional experience:

“There is that well-known ‘rule of threes’: we can survive about three weeks without food, about three days without water, and only a few minutes without oxygen. Water sits right at the heart of human survival. But it is not just about having water, it is about having enough and having it safely. Quantity matters, but quality matters just as much. Waterborne diseases remain one of the greatest killers, especially in Africa. So when we speak about water, we are speaking about life, health, and dignity.”
Alistair Dutton Secretary General of Caritas Internationalis

“Clean water is absolutely essential in hospitals and clinics – he added.  Without it, the very places meant to heal can become sources of infection. Too often, systems are built but not maintained. Before we build new systems, we should fix the ones that already exist.”

Caritas WASH response in Haiti

From Haiti, Père Yvel Germain described the reality of working in fragile contexts where a single health centre may serve thousands.

“Without water, we cannot clean equipment or ensure safe care,”
Père Yvel Germain Director of Caritas Haiti

Père Yvel underlined that WASH is the foundation of any functioning health system. Caritas Haiti has supported improvements across several departments, bringing water to facilities that lacked it for years and strengthening hygiene and waste management systems. These changes have restored trust—an essential factor in whether patients seek care at all.

However, Père Yvel also warned that infrastructure alone is insufficient. With unpaid staff, fragile supply chains and ongoing insecurity, sustained investment is critical. “We are not asking to start from zero,” he stressed, “but to sustain what already works—because lives depend on it.”

Zimbabwe: professionalising WASH in the Archdiocese of Harare

Speaking at the conference, Roselinie Murota, Development Coordinator of the Archdiocese of Harare, shared how Caritas Zimbabwe has moved from ad hoc interventions to structured, sustainable programmes. Solar-powered boreholes, rainwater harvesting systems, upgraded sanitation facilities and expanded handwashing stations have together transformed water management across the Archdiocese — improving patient safety and dignity while extending benefits to surrounding communities.

Murota emphasised that hardware alone is never enough. Coordinated governance, regular monitoring, collaboration with public authorities and growing local fundraising have all been essential. And community involvement, she noted, is what makes the difference between a project that lasts and one that doesn’t.

A message from Pope Leo XIV

The gathering also carried a strong moral dimension. In a message conveyed by Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Pope Leo XIV sent his blessings and greetings to the conference participants:

“His Holiness Pope Leo XIV 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. The Holy Father prays that the time spent together in dialogue and sharing will inspire the participants to renew their zealous response to Christ’s commandment to love our neighbour.”
Cardinal Pietro Parolin

The Pope likewise hopes it will deepen their commitment to promoting compassion and fraternal solidarity, since the touch of compassion is the first medicine (cf. Dilexi Te, 51). “With these sentiments, Pope Leo XIV willingly imparts his Apostolic Blessing to all present as a pledge of wisdom, strength and joy in the Lord.” added Cardinal Parolin.

This was echoed by Cardinal Tarcisio Isao Kikuchi, President of Caritas Internationalis, who stressed that access to water is inseparable from human dignity and warned that communities without it are too often forgotten once global attention fades.

The Rome conference closed with a renewed collective commitment: to link WASH more closely with health and climate challenges, to build collaborative strategies as humanitarian funding contracts, and to insist that in a world increasingly prioritising defence over social investment, the most vulnerable must not be left behind.

By Susan Dabbous, Caritas Internationalis Editorial and Media Officer 

On the friar, you can listen to our homilies (based on the readings of the day) and reflections. You can also ask us to pray for you or to pray for others. You can subscribe to our website to be informed whenever we publish an update.

About Author