WEFTA president and co-founder, Peter Fant, P.E., will participate in an April 22-23, global conference of stakeholders intent on accelerating solutions to WASH issues in healthcare facilities. The meeting, titled “Committed to WASH in Healthcare Facilities – A Gathering in Rome of Faith-based Organizations and Allies to Accelerate Progress,” will be held in Vatican City under the patronage of the Vatican’s Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development.
According to a Vatican press release, the World Health Organization reports that across 60 low-resource countries, 37% of healthcare facilities lack basic water services, and 81% lack basic sanitation services. This critical absence of WASH means women have to haul water to give birth; maternal and infant morbidity and mortality increase, as do preventable illnesses and diseases, antibiotic resistance, and poverty. In some of these countries, faith-based organizations deliver 30–50% of healthcare services and operate a substantial share of facilities, often providing care where there would otherwise be none.
WEFTA’s strong, mission-aligned partnerships with the Daughters of Charity International Project Services (DCIPS), the Benedictine Sisters of St. Agnes, and Village Health Partnership (VHP) ensure that WASH interventions in rural hospitals and clinics in the Americas and Africa are locally grounded, technically sound, and sustainably managed. Additionally, through the Vatican 150 Initiative, WEFTA has completed numerous projects in five African nations, implementing improvements that strengthen healthcare delivery, reduce infection risks, and improve patient dignity.
Over 100 leaders, experts, and field practitioners from both faith-based and secular organizations are expected to attend the historic conference. May this meeting of the minds truly accelerate progress toward WASH solutions in healthcare settings!
While participation is by invitation, the fast-paced panels will be livestreamed globally in English, French, Spanish, and Italian. You can review the Program and get a link to the livestream here.