USPG Joins International Push to End Unsafe Water Conditions in Healthcare Facilities
In Rome, the Revd Canon Dr Duncan Dormor, General Secretary of USPG, joined together with various faith leaders and organisations, health experts and international agencies in a powerful call to action: no patient should be put at risk simply because a clinic lacks clean water, safe toilets or basic handwashing facilities.
At the faith-based “Committed to WASH in Healthcare Facilities” summit on 22–23 April, the General Secretary represented USPG in spotlighting one of the most urgent yet solvable global health inequalities – the absence of water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) in healthcare settings.
Global studies have found that, across 60 low-resource countries, 37 per cent lack basic water services, and 81 per cent lack basic sanitation, and that this is leading to a rise in infant morbidity and mortality, preventable illnesses and diseases, and antibiotic resistance and poverty. Women giving birth, newborn babies, patients recovering from surgery, and frontline health workers are all exposed to avoidable infection risks because of inadequate WASH infrastructure.
The summit in Rome brought this reality into sharp focus, while also demonstrating what is possible when faith groups, governments and technical experts work together.
“This was a historic occasion,” said the Revd Canon Dr Duncan Dormor. He added:
It was a privilege to be with such a diverse group of talented people such as Catholic sisters, water engineers, CEOs of international non-profits, UNICEF, the World Health Organisation – all deeply committed to providing care and dignity through WASH especially to the most vulnerable communities.
The summit underscored a shared recognition that clean water and sanitation in healthcare facilities are not optional extras, but fundamental requirements for safe and dignified care. Participants emphasised that WASH is central not only to infection prevention, but also to trust in health systems and the protection of life itself.
In advance of the gathering in Rome, Sarah Mullally, the Archbishop of Canterbury, has issued the following video statement, saying in part:
As a former nurse, I know that clean water and good sanitation are essential to safe and effective healthcare. I’m therefore 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.
A message of support from Pope Leo XIV reinforced this global concern. He expressed his “spiritual closeness to the members of the health agencies and networks attending the gathering on improving water, sanitation and hygiene in healthcare facilities”, and welcomed the collaboration of organisations “of various faith backgrounds working together on this pressing issue”.
The Anglican Communion, present in 165 countries, has a long tradition of providing healthcare in some of the most remote and underserved regions of the world. USPG is proud to contribute to this shared effort through its long-standing global partnerships with churches across the Anglican Communion. Over the course of the last year, it has piloted WASH work in Zambia, Bangladesh, and the Philippines, where Anglican churches are working directly with healthcare facilities to strengthen systems and improve patient safety – as explained by the Most Revd Nestor Poltic, Primate of the Episcopal Church in the Philippines, in a recorded video.
There was also a leading contribution from the Rt Revd Michael Weasley, Bishop of Bath and Wells, and a member of the Anglican Health and Community Network, a co-convener of the event.
Looking ahead, USPG aims to build on this progress by expanding WASH programmes to other countries across the Global South where Anglican partners are active and local capacity exists.