WUCWO supports the WASH project (access to drinking Water, Sanitation and Hygiene) in health care facilities belonging to the Catholic Church, developed by the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development in collaboration with religious congregations, bishops, Caritas Internationalis and Global Water 2020.

Pope Francis' words for Water Day 2021 (Angelus prayer 21.03.2021): World Water Day, invites us to reflect on the value of this wonderful and irreplaceable gift of God. For us believers, “sister water” is not merchandise: it is a universal symbol and is the source of life and health. Too many brothers and sisters, so very many brothers and sisters have access to too little and perhaps polluted water. It is necessary to assure potable water and hygienic services to all. I thank and encourage those who, with diverse professionalism and responsibilities, work for this very important aim. I think, for example, of the University of Water, in my homeland, of those who work to bring it forward and to make the importance of water understood. Many thanks to you Argentinians who work in this University of Water”. 

The words of the President of the World Union of Catholic Women’s Organisations (WUCWO), María Lía Zervino: “The Dicastery’s call is fundamental. The women members of WUCWO, working tirelessly at the grassroots level in the various continents, caring for disadvantaged families, the homeless and the elderly vulnerable to COVID-19, are witnesses to the dire need for safe drinking water, which was already lacking even before the pandemic in areas of high social risk. Without investment to ensure that the human right to safe drinking water is also available to the most needy, all efforts to educate about health care will be in vain”.

Press Release of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development on progress in the project to assess and improve WASH conditions in a selected number of Catholic health facilities (21.03.2021)