On April 22–23, we took part in the event “Committed to WASH in Healthcare Facilities: A Gathering of Faith-based Organizations and Allies to Accelerate Progress”, held in Rome at the Jesuit Curia. The global meeting brought together faith-based organizations and partners committed to improving access to essential services—water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH)—in healthcare facilities, a need also highlighted by the United Nations.
The event aimed to secure concrete financial and operational commitments to strengthen WASH services in faith-based healthcare facilities. It also sought to accelerate new initiatives, foster collaboration with secular partners, and share lessons learned and future priorities.
Throughout the discussions, a stark reality was repeatedly emphasized: across 60 low-resource countries, 37% of healthcare facilities lack basic water services and 81% lack basic sanitation. These gaps directly contribute to higher maternal and infant mortality, increased disease transmission, and deepening poverty.
“We all recognize how challenging it is not only to ensure, but also to sustain, WASH services in many health facilities,” said Andrea Atzori, Head of International Relations at CUAMM. “While the term ‘WASH’ may be relatively recent, the challenge of water access has persisted for decades—spanning infrastructure, maintenance, and long-term affordability.” He also highlighted how WASH is closely linked to CUAMM’s commitment to maternal and neonatal health through prevention.
This connection was echoed by Sean Callahan, President and CEO of Catholic Relief Services, who stressed that access to WASH “not only prevents infections and protects health—it also upholds the dignity of vulnerable patients. Every mother deserves clean water, private sanitation, and hygienic conditions when giving birth.”
The meeting also highlighted the critical role of women’s religious congregations and faith-based health networks in delivering healthcare and promoting human dignity worldwide.
Faith-based organizations (FBOs) are essential providers in underserved and hard-to-reach areas, delivering 30–50% of healthcare services in some low-resource countries. Despite their impact, their contributions are often overlooked.
Recognizing this, since 2019 we have partnered with FBOs across Africa to strengthen their capacity, resilience, and participation in decision-making processes. Today, we support 93 Catholic congregations in 26 countries through training, technical assistance, and advocacy.
“While WASH is not our core area of expertise, we are committed to identifying sustainable solutions and integrating these services into broader health interventions by working closely with institutions, communities, and partners—including FBOs,” added Atzori. “This collaboration enables us to better understand challenges, co-develop practical solutions, and advocate more effectively for lasting progress.”
The two-day meeting provided a platform to exchange experiences and align on next steps. Participants—from religious leaders to field experts—called for scaling progress and “turning commitments into funded plans with clear targets and deadlines,” as noted by Alistair Dutton, Secretary General of Caritas Internationalis.
Cardinal Michael F. Czerny emphasized the urgency of action:
“Without WASH, healthcare cannot be safe. No treatment, surgery, or delivery can be properly performed. Ensuring these basic conditions is a fundamental step toward human dignity and integral development.”
Adding her voice, Sarah Mullally, Archbishop of Canterbury, stated:
“As a former nurse, I know that clean water and sanitation are essential to safe and effective healthcare. I am encouraged by the progress already underway and urge continued support for this vital work.”
Moving forward, the challenge is clear: transform commitments into concrete, funded actions that reach the most vulnerable. In this effort, the leadership of faith-based actors will remain critical. As Sister Irene O’Neill, Founder of Sisters Rising Worldwide, emphasized, “sisters see what others often miss, they remain where others do not and are already leading solutions that need to be heard, shared and scaled sustainably.” Scaling these solutions is no longer optional—it is urgent.
The event was promoted by a consortium of partners committed to advancing WASH in healthcare facilities, including CUAMM, Caritas Internationalis, Catholic Relief Services, the Daughters of Charity of Saint Vincent de Paul, Global Ministries/UMCOR, the U.S. Catholic Health Association, the Anglican Communion Health and Community Network, ACHAP, and Accord Network. It was held under the patronage of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development.
CUAMM Annual Meeting was held on Saturday 22, in Padua. The event featured distinguished speakers including the President of the Italian Republic Sergio Mattarella. Some 4,000 people attended the meeting held under the theme “Nurturing the future”, an occasion to also commemorate 75 years of commitment to the health of the most vulnerable.
The event was hosted by Giorgia Cardinaletti, Italian journalist and opened by Daniele Silvestri – Italian songwriter performing one of his most famous track.
Giorgia Cardinaletti: Tg1 journalist
Sergio Giordani, mayor of Padua brought the greetings of the city of Padua at the beginning of the ceremony:
“Today we celebrate a special anniversary: 75 years of activity is an important milestone, but also the symbol of the mission of justice and peace that Doctors with Africa CUAMM carries out in Africa. Some claim that allocating resources to the poorest countries is a waste; CUAMM, instead, shows us another path: not working for the most needy populations, but working together with them.”
Sergio Giordani: Mayor of Padua
And the president of CUAMM, the bishop of Padua, Monsignor Claudio Cipolla, added:
“CUAMM is a beautiful reality that works with daily commitment so that Africa may grow. This year I was in Ethiopia and met many practitioners and doctors trained with CUAMM: they were all Ethiopians, supported by some young doctors from Italy. The world needs justice; it needs one human family living in equality.”
Mons. Claudio Cipolla: Bishop of Padua
Moving and heartfelt was the speech by Mario Calabresi, journalist and writer:
“For 75 years, CUAMM has nurtured values that elsewhere seem out of fashion. In a time dominated by speed and urgency, you choose patience; you choose not to tire of looking, listening, being present. For 75 years you have been guided by the idea that things must grow, with that sense of rural time that respects the seasons — necessary for projects to become strong, rooted, and able to walk on their own. Every time I meet CUAMM, you confront me with the effort — but also the responsibility — of speaking about the least, of not letting indifference win, of remembering Africa’s needs and opportunities more than its emergencies. It is ‘a surge of the heart’ that leads so many young doctors to knock on your door.”
Mario Calabresi: journalist and writer
“To speak of CUAMM’s motivations means telling the story of women and men who decided to stand by Africa. Seventy years ago, the motivation was radical: to leave and treat the sick where there was nothing,” added Giovanni Putoto, head of Planning and Operational Research. “Today we recognize the value of African professionals and facilities, grown and strengthened over these decades. Tomorrow, motivations will be even more linked to the interconnected world we live in: climate change, conflicts, epidemics, and inequalities remind us that no one can exist alone.”
Giovanni Putoto: CUAMM physician and Head of Programming and Operational Research
And the Italian Minister of Universities and Research, Anna Maria Bernini, recalling the collaboration between CUAMM, the Ministry, and the University of Padua, emphasized:
“Investing in Africa is important because it means investing in the lives of all of us. In Mozambique, South Sudan, and Ethiopia, together with CUAMM, we are carrying out concrete projects, but there are still many other challenges to face. We stand with Africa to grow together.”
Anna Maria Bernini: Minister of Universities and Research
This collaboration also opens the way to new challenges, such as the one in Ivory Coast supported by the Mattei Plan, as stated by Stefano Gatti, Director General for Development Cooperation:
“With the Mattei Plan we are developing cooperation with Africa. Healthcare is one of the fundamental pillars: together with CUAMM, in Ivory Coast, we are currently working on projects worth over 2 million euros, with the main goal of reducing child mortality. The wonderful CUAMM team carries these projects forward, and we create the conditions needed to foster cooperation and make it effective.”
Stefano Gatti: Director General for Development Cooperation, Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Speaking on behalf of the banking foundations that support CUAMM in its mission was Gilberto Muraro, president of Fondazione Cariparo, who said from the Padua Fair stage:
“Our Foundation has long stood close to CUAMM. For the efficiency and diligence shown throughout our collaboration, we responded to Don Dante’s appeal on the impact of USAID’s sudden closure, raising 1.5 million euros to mitigate the damage. This represents a renewed sign of trust in CUAMM, which works with competence and passion.”
The CUAMM network is vast and rich in many souls. Among them, the network of medical residents who, together with CUAMM, experience fieldwork. Representing them was Carolina Teston, resident physician in gynecology:
“My experience as a resident in Sierra Leone gave me so much and filled me with gratitude. It was a true privilege, allowing me to grow both professionally and personally.”
On stage next, Alberto Mantovani, president of Humanitas Research Foundation:
“Supporting doctors and health workers in the field means supporting care, but also scientific research. CUAMM conducts high-level research, recognized also through the award from the Accademia dei Lincei. It is research always rooted in fieldwork: research done with passion, with the desire to measure and be measured.”
Alberto Mantovani, President of Humanitas Research Foundation and Daniela Mapelli, Dean of Padua University.
And together with him, the Dean of Padua University, Daniela Mapelli, added:
“Our residents go there to learn and acquire new skills. Working in poor countries does not mean doing ‘poor medicine’: on the contrary, our young doctors return enriched — in clinical practice, in their ability to work in teams, to handle emergencies, and to pay close attention to listening to patients.”
Songwriter Daniele Silvestri took the stage to speak about his recent trip to informal settlements in Apulia, where the CUAMM Bari Group provides assistance to agricultural workers:
“The Casa Sankara ghetto in the Foggia area is truly a piece of Africa, inhabited by people who, although theoretically seasonal workers, end up staying for years. These worlds and realities are full of wonder: one shouldn’t only talk about hardships and what is lacking, but also about the life created there and the pieces of culture that form. CUAMM manages to interpret its mission with simplicity, recognizing that there is a piece of Africa here as well, and that the work done in Africa can also be done in Italy.”
Daniele Silvestri: singer and songwriter
Paolo Rumiz, journalist and writer, recalled with great emotion and intensity Don Luigi Mazzucato, longtime director of CUAMM:
“He was a man with a modest yet irresistible charisma. A small priest who made me fall in love with Africa. I wonder what he would say about this world drifting away. Africa, once seen as the guilty conscience of colonial Europe, is now ignored.”
Paolo Rumiz: journalist and writer
“The encounter with CUAMM was one of the most important of my life. This summer I returned to Africa with CUAMM, in the Central African Republic. There was a moment I will never forget: at a crossroads between two dirt roads, in total darkness, Enzo Pisani – CUAMM Doctor asked me: ‘You here — what did you come for?’ And I replied: ‘Because I have to.’ Thinking back on that answer, I realized it contained all the motivations everyone feels: it moves me deeply, as if it were a calling, a hand on my shoulder. But there is also something tied to an inevitable and difficult destiny, linked to the guilt of the privileged Western white man. All these reasons contain great love and deep joy. Thanks to CUAMM, I have known the best part of our country,” said singer-songwriter Niccolò Fabi, a longtime friend of CUAMM.
Niccolò Fabi: singer-songwriter
Bringing Africa’s voice was Lelisa Amanuel Jira from the Ethiopian Ministry of Health:
“We asked CUAMM for help for the Nekemte hospital during an emergency situation. It is located in western Ethiopia, in the Oromia region, about 300 km from Addis Ababa. The hospital was built in 1932 and today serves one and a half million African citizens. Helping this center means supporting people’s health and well-being, ensuring safety for western Ethiopia, and contributing to the well-being of the entire country.”
Lelisa Amanuel Jira: Ministry of Health of Ethiopia
Don Dante Carraro, Director General of CUAMM took the stage with the representative of the Ethiopian Ministry of Health to announce a new compelling challenge:
“Last year, at the Annual Meeting in Turin, we launched a major challenge: building a School for Nurses and Midwives in Bossangoa, a rural area of the Central African Republic, 80 km from the capital. A few days ago, I was there and we inaugurated it together with the local authorities. It was a great celebration, a wonderful milestone. Next week, the first 30 Central African students will begin their lessons — the beginning of a new future for each of them. But Africa is vast and the needs that call to us are many. The challenge we embrace and relaunch for 2026 is called Nekemte, in Ethiopia. An area that has welcomed nearly 150,000 displaced people. A collapsing health system, an overflowing hospital, a crumbling facility. This is where we want to help and do our part. And this is the commitment we present to the President of the Republic, Sergio Mattarella, and to all of Italy. It is our concrete way of giving shape to that ‘vertical continent’ that the President has often invited us to imagine and dream. Thank you to all who will join us!”
Closing the intense morning were the words of the President of the Republic, Sergio Mattarella:
“A warm greeting to the institutional representatives present. A greeting to those here from Ethiopia and Mozambique, and to everyone in attendance. We are here to celebrate CUAMM’s 75 years: a joyful anniversary not only for the value of this endeavor, but also for Padua and for all who have received your care and been trained in your schools. Seventy-five years of community-building in disadvantaged territories of Africa are a value for all of Italy, of which you are extraordinary ambassadors. What CUAMM stands for, in countering wars and conflicts fueled by fear, has great meaning. Your work sends a message of encouragement and challenge, because all are called to build peace, friendship, cooperation. Seventy-five years ago, CUAMM’s story began with its founders, Francesco Canova and Bishop Girolamo Bortignon. Sub-Saharan African countries were still under colonial rule, and in Italy no legal framework for cooperation existed. CUAMM became a pioneer: the challenge was great and the project ambitious, but the energy and tenacity of Don Luigi Mazzucato made the founders’ dream possible, and ten years after his death we remember him with growing affection. He used to say that friendship and community spirit keep CUAMM’s engine running — an engine that has enabled it to navigate decades of change. Every step forward has been anticipated and envisioned through the generosity of CUAMM’s doctors, supporters, and staff. Today more than ever, the future of the two continents and their peoples is increasingly interconnected, and the Mattei Plan is a step toward this cooperation. Solidarity is the antidote to indifference, and CUAMM was the first Italian NGO recognized in the health sector. That law was signed by Aldo Moro, who as a young man said it was important ‘to hunger and thirst for justice’. This is what the women and men of CUAMM teach us — to nurture awareness of the inviolable dignity and respect owed to every person.”
Sergio Mattarella, President of the Italian Republic
The Annual Meeting was held under the patronage of: Veneto Region, Municipality of Padua, National Federation of the Orders of Surgeons and Dentists, National Federation of Midwifery Orders.
Media Partners: Rai Radio 2, TV2000, Radio In Blu, Gruppo 24 Ore, Avvenire, Corriere Buone Notizie, Corriere del Veneto, Mattino di Padova, Nuova Venezia, Tribuna di Treviso, Corriere delle Alpi, Radio Vaticana, Vatican News, L’Osservatore Romano, La Difesa del Popolo, Africa Rivista.
In collaboration with: Caffè Diemme, Coldiretti, Trenitalia, Pasticceria Loison, Grafiche Pizzinato, Henoto, Target 2, Back Space, Padova Hall. With the support of: Fondazione Cariparo, Eni, Intesa San Paolo, Poste Italiane, FemoGas, Alì, Chamber of Commerce, Padova Looking and Venicepromex, Banca Etica.
Technical sponsors: CUAMM is a member of Link 2007.
Today, together with our project partners Salesianos de Dom Bosco and ENE, we took part in the inauguration ceremony of Food, Energy & Life (FE&L) organized by Eni and hosted at Palácio de Ferro in Luanda.
FE&L is the photographic exhibition that portrays an Angola in transition, between culinary traditions and new cooking methods introduced through the Eni for Clean Cooking programme. It is a journey through Angolan society and the ongoing changes that will guide thousands of people toward cleaner and healthier habits.
The exhibition was inaugurated by a highly institutional event attended by the Italian Ambassador to Angola, Marco Ricci; the Minister of Mineral Resources, Petroleum and Gas, Diamantino Azevedo; the Secretary of State for Health, Carlos Alberto Pinto de Sousa; and the Secretary of State for the Environment, Yuri Valter de Sousa Santos.
It was an opportunity to discuss the programme, which aims to reduce household pollution and associated health risks, while also contributing to the reduction of biomass emissions. Today, over 80% of the population of Sub-Saharan Africa lacks access to safe and efficient cooking systems. According to the World Health Organization, household air pollution causes around 3.2 million premature deaths every year, particularly among women and children, while the International Energy Agency estimates that collecting biomass for cooking contributes to the loss of 1.3 million hectares of forest annually.
“This initiative aligns perfectly with the national strategic plan and supports our long-term strategy to ensure the well-being of the population, combat poverty and guarantee the human right to food and access to sufficient, healthy and nutritious food,” said the Secretary of State for Health, Carlos Alberto Pinto de Sousa.
As Doctors with Africa CUAMM, we are working on the front lines in the northern province of Uige. At the centre of our efforts are nutrition, hygiene and health, along with an innovative and effective approach: Social and Behavioural Change.
“People want to learn, exchange ideas and be heard. Community activities often last up to three hours, and people stay with us, actively participating. Their involvement reminds us every day why this intervention matters. What we offer is not just awareness-raising activities, but spaces for dialogue where we debunk myths, cultural beliefs and long-established perceptions,” said Nurcia Chiwisa – CUAMM Project Manager and nutritionist.
Through awareness campaigns on food and basic hygiene, the initiative makes it possible to work on nutrition and on preventing health risks linked to inefficient combustion, thus promoting the well-being of families, especially the most vulnerable. As part of the Eni for Clean Cooking programme, implemented in Uige province in collaboration with the Salesianos de Dom Bosco, we have already reached more than 236,000 people through the distribution of over 47,000 improved cookstoves.
“As Doctors with Africa CUAMM, we are very pleased to be part of this large programme, Eni for Clean Cooking. Ten years after our last activities in Uíge province, we have returned with an innovative project in which health — the core of our mission — intersects with fundamental themes such as women’s empowerment, environmental protection and access to energy. It is a truly integrated approach, fully reflecting the CUAMM style and our way of working: close to communities, alongside health authorities and committed to sustainable solutions that can drive development,” said Joaquim Tomas – CUAMM Country Representative in Angola.
Over 1,800 people from across Italy gathered in the Giovanni Agnelli Auditorium at Lingotto in Turin for the Annual Meeting of Doctors with Africa CUAMM. “Health First. For Everyone’s Future” was the theme of this event, now in its 14th edition.
Neri Marcorè, Author and actor
After an intense monologue by Neri Marcorè, who performed Giorgio Gaber’s “La Paura” (Fear), the audience was guided by the graceful hosting of Paola Saluzzi on a captivating journey. This journey featured video testimonies from Africa and live voices on stage, creating an emotional crescendo of stories from the field.
Paola Saluzzi, Annual Meeting Host and Journalist at TV2000
Alberto Cirio, President of the Piedmont Region
Alberto Cirio, President of the Piedmont Region: «The first word I want to say is ‘Thank you.’ To Don Dante Carraro and everyone, for choosing Turin and Piedmont, a land of culture and values rooted in solidarity. Your presence here is meaningful».
Michela Favaro, Deputy Mayor of Turin
Michela Favaro, Deputy Mayor of Turin: «I am glad to greet you all, on behalf of the city and the mayor. Turin has a long tradition of solidarity and continues with a strong international vocation. We are happy that so many doctors and health workers dedicate themselves to this bridge of hope for the world».
Alberto Mantovani, Scientific Director of Humanitas (on the right) and Guido Forni, Immunologist, Accademia dei Lincei
Alberto Mantovani, Scientific Director of Humanitas referring to the award presented to CUAMM by the Accademia dei Lincei in late June, said: «Serving this cause means working ‘with.’ The participation and enthusiasm for this award highlight CUAMM’s virtuous triangle of medicine: assistance, particularly for children and at-risk mothers, training young professionals, and operational research. This triangle brings extraordinary hope. We give something and return home with even more hope».
Guido Forni, Immunologist, Accademia dei Lincei: «Spurred by Alberto Mantovani, a group of immunologists wrote a book to demonstrate the importance of vaccines. The proceeds will go to CUAMM, and I am proud to be part of this beautiful initiative».
Antonio Tajani, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation
Antonio Tajani, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation: «We must look at Africa through African lenses, valuing its richness without neocolonizing, providing meaningful responses. Thank you for being an operational reference point for Italian Cooperation. We must do more to prevent children from dying before age two or mothers losing their lives during childbirth. This is the foundation of the Mattei Plan, a ‘win-win’ strategy to foster friendship and investment in the continent».
Alberto Anfossi, Secretary General of the Compagnia di San Paolo Foundation (on the right) and Don Gabriele Pipinato, CEI
Alberto Anfossi, Secretary General of the Compagnia di San Paolo Foundation: «Italian banking foundations work locally, but we all feel the need to act on a national level as well. Cooperation leads us to select projects and partners that can truly make a difference».
Don Gabriele Pipinato, CEI: «Last Saturday, I celebrated a 25-year project started with CUAMM, which continues to this day. I recently visited Wolisso, where CUAMM is doing exceptional work as a driving force generating new energy».
Fabio Manenti, Head of Project Department and Chiara Maretti, midwife and Country Representative in South Sudan
The Meeting, as every year, was an opportunity to present data from the extensive program “Mothers and Children First”, explained by Fabio Manenti, Head of Project Department at CUAMM. In its third year, the program supported 101,132 assisted births across eight sub-Saharan African countries where CUAMM operates; 817,916 prenatal visits were conducted; 3,804 malnourished children were treated, and 340 local health managers were trained.
Chiara Maretti, midwife and Country Representative in South Sudan
Chiara Maretti, midwife and Country Representative in South Sudan, shared her field experience: «South Sudan is one of the poorest countries, yet it demonstrates incredible resilience. It’s an overused term, but if any population deserves it, it’s South Sudan. Since gaining independence in 2011, the country has faced unrelenting challenges, with extraordinarily high maternal mortality rates. At CUAMM, we support midwifery schools, and witnessing these young, future colleagues attending classes and preparing to help their country gives me joy amid the daily struggles».
Daguma Dereje, Ethiopia’s Deputy Minister of Health, highlighted: «The Ethiopian government has been collaborating with CUAMM for many years in a true partnership. Our healthcare system faces three main challenges: maternal and child mortality exacerbated by poverty, lack of equipment and medicine, communicable and other diseases such as cancer, and a third set of challenges posed by malaria, cholera, and similar disases».
Daguma Dereje, Ethiopia’s Deputy Minister of Health (on the right); Getachew Reda, President of the Tigray region in Ethiopia (in the middle) and Agostino Palese, Italian Ambassador in Ethiopia (on the left)
Getachew Reda, President of the Tigray region in Ethiopia, remarked: «The past three years of war have devastated infrastructure and more. We don’t just need to rehabilitate hospitals, on the contrary we need to rebuild the entire system. Guns have gone silent, but thousands live in extreme vulnerability without any services. CUAMM supports us in this. Above all, what matters now is peace».
Agostino Palese, Italian Ambassador to Ethiopia
Agostino Palese, Italian Ambassador to Ethiopia, emphasized: «In the past year, we have invested in what seemed impossible. Our priorities are threefold: healthcare, education, and employment. It’s not about optimism or pessimism, but about working with commitment every day and believing in what we do. We are fostering a paradigm shift, moving from aid to development as a right».
Franca Fagioli, Director of the Pediatrics Specialty School, University of Turin, said: «I believe the JPO program for residents is strategic even for our national territory. It is crucial for developing doctors capable of operating in global, multidisciplinary contexts. These doctors treat patients without or with minimal technology, adapt to diverse cultural settings, and become assets for both host country, themselves, and our national healthcare system».
Franca Fagioli, Director of the Pediatrics Specialty School, University of Turin (in the middle) and Elena Altieri, CUAMM Doctor (on the left)
Elena Altieri, CUAMM pediatrician shared: «Every day in my work in Italy, I draw from my experience as a resident in Tanzania and as a specialist in Mozambique. In Africa, I learned clinical practice by talking to patients, using my heart and hands. There, we learn to use our hands, minds, and a frugal approach to medicine effectively».
Journalist Diamante D’Alessio commented: «Thanks to Massimo Carraro of Morellato, I stumbled upon CUAMM, and from there, my commitment grew to give voice to the remarkable work of doctors on the ground».
Antonio Biasiucci, photographer; Diamante D’Alessio, journalist (on the left) and Patrizia Sandretto Re Rebaudengo, President of the Sandretto Re Rebaudengo Foundation
Photographer Antonio Biasiucci reflected: «CUAMM’s mission is truly contagious. I often work with metaphors; I could have done this project without going to Uganda, but I felt involved and chose to visit a delivery room in Matany with CUAMM. It was incredibly challenging. Pointing a camera at a woman in labor, possibly delivering a stillborn child, is not easy. It’s an experience I’ll always remember».
Patrizia Sandretto Re Rebaudengo, President of the Sandretto Re Rebaudengo Foundation, shared: «Art and culture play a role in raising awareness and attention on critical causes like CUAMM’s. Art serves aesthetic, political, and social functions. It can align with significant causes to support and help raise funds. We’re launching a new project with CUAMM to send artists to Africa, who will sell their work to support CUAMM».
Giuseppe Ferro, President of CUAMM volunteering groups; Nicola Penzo, CUAMM Fundraising Department; Simona Sala, Director of Radio Rai 2
Simona Sala, Director of Radio Rai 2, proposed: «Good deeds rarely make the news. Talking about the positive is challenging. Today’s conflicts risk further overshadowing Africa. That’s why I’d like to propose an idea for us all to work on next year: 2025 marks the 40th anniversary of Bob Geldof’s Live Aid. Organizing a major concert to raise awareness on Africa would be magnificent».
Serge Boni, Professor of Gynecology and Obstetrics and Advisor to the Minister of Health, Ivory Coast, noted: «Ivory Coast is fortunate to have a good neonatal and maternal health system, but significant challenges remain in many regions. The maternal mortality rate is far from Europe’s. Our country aspires to reduce this rate because the greatest injustice is a woman dying while giving life. We are grateful for CUAMM’s support».
Ehouman Serge Boni, Professor of Gynecology and Obstetrics and Advisor to the Minister of Health, Ivory Coast (on the right) and Giovanni Putoto, CUAMM Head of program and operational research
Giovanni Putoto, CUAMM Head of program and operational research revealed: «CUAMM is launching a new project at the Abobo hospital in Abidjan. Together with the University of Padua, we will double maternity support, establish a neonatal unit, and ensure essential services like a blood bank. This critical endeavor will focus on research and study».
Andrea Malaguti, Editor-in-Chief of La Stampa, interviewed Romano Prodi about Africa and the Mattei Plan, asking if this intervention is enough and where Europe falls short. Romano Prodi, President of the Foundation for Worldwide Cooperation, responded: «The Mattei Plan won’t be sufficient. Africa is immeasurably larger than Italy and Europe. While Europe is the continent’s largest donor, it wields no influence, which is a major issue. In contrast, China has diplomatic ties with 54 of Africa’s 55 countries and operates systemically. Europe provides fragmented, short-term aid. CUAMM’s distinguishing strength is its decades-long, continuous presence».
Andrea Malaguti, Editor-in-Chief of La Stampa and Romano Prodi, President of the Foundation for Worldwide Cooperation
Don Dante Carraro, CUAMM Director, closed the event with a call to support a new training center in Bossangoa, Central African Republic: «At the request of the local Ministry of Health, we aim to establish this center in one of the poorest areas, building on our successful maternity project there. The cost is 1 million, but we are confident we can achieve this with everyone’s help».
Don Dante Carraro, CUAMM Director General
The Annual Meeting will be aired on TV2000, Channel 28, on Saturday, November 23, at 4:00 PM.
The ANNUAL MEETING is under the patronage of: Regione Piemonte, Municipality of Turin, University of Turin, the National Federation of the Orders of Physicians and Dentists, and the National Federation of Midwifery Orders.
In collaboration with: Intesa Sanpaolo, Gilead.
Technical sponsors: Lavazza, Fondazione Sandretto Re Rebaudengo, Coldiretti Piemonte. Cuamm is a member of Link 2007.
Media partners: Rai Radio 1, Rai Radio 2, Gruppo 24 Ore, Tv2000, Radio InBlu, Avvenire, La Stampa, Radio Vaticana, Vatican News, L’Osservatore Romano, Africa Rivista.
PRIMA LE MAMME E I BAMBINI is a program in collaboration with Fondazione Cariparo, Fondazione Cariverona, Fondazione Cariplo, Compagnia di San Paolo, Fondazione Cassa di Risparmio di Lucca.
Thanks to: Fondazione Cassa di Risparmio di Bologna, Fondazione del Monte di Bologna e Ravenna, Fondazione CR Firenze, Fondazione Cassa dei Risparmi di Forlì, Fondazione Friuli, Fondazione di Sardegna, Fondazione con il Sud, Fondazione CRT.
The event “Supporting faith-based organizations on the frontline of healthcare service delivery” organized by Doctors with Africa CUAMM and Embassy of Italy to the Holy See was held today in Rome. The meeting was a valuable occasion for highlighting both the key role FBOs play in the delivery of healthcare services in low and middle income countries (LMIC) and the importance of building strong partnerships. Governments representatives, institutions, partners, private foundations and companies attended the event to prove the value of having a common commitment.
For over a decade, FBOs have been serving the most vulnerable populations in Africa to ensure the access to healthcare services for all. Often located in the last mile, FBOs are frequently on the front lines of service delivery; they are in close contact with local communities and can recognize and address the real needs of the poorest, delivering up to 70% of health services in low and middle income countries. However, FBOs are often neglected in terms of supplies, human resources and funding and are not integrated into the healthcare system.
Doctors with Africa CUAMM believes that FBOs need to be supported and included in local health system strengthening interventions. For that reason, in 2019 CUAMM launched the program “Supporting FBOs on the frontline of healthcare service delivery in Africa” aiming at strengthening the capacity and resilience of staff working in faith-based health facilities through training, technical assistance and advocacy activities.
Since its launch in 2019, 133 faith-based organizations in 26 countries in sub-Saharan Africa have been involved in “Supporting FBOs on the frontline of healthcare service delivery in Africa” program . Up to 164 health facilities have been targeted in numerous on-field visits conducted by CUAMM personnel highly qualified both in health care and health service management. The facilities benefited from CUAMM’s support in terms of training in the field of management and administration, technical assistance through online activities and meeting on the ground; and advocacy to help FBOs share lessons learned and strengthen their representative capacity before local institutions and international community. The event was also a opportunity for presenting a deep analysis on the work FBOs are doing in 11 countries in sub-Saharan Africa.
The meeting started with the opening remarks delivered by the Italian Ambassador to the Holy See, Doctors with Africa CUAMM Director General and Uganda Ministry of Health Representative.
Francesco Di Nitto, Italian Ambassador to the Holy See: «I am honoured for hosting this event here at Palazzo Borromeo. Africa has become a priority for Italy and in particular for this government. Italy is absolutely aware of how interconnected the destinies of Europe and Africa are and that is why it has been working to write a new page in the histyory of cooperation through the launch of Piano Mattei whose main idea is to develop partnership with African countries on equal footing also through FBOs, some of which have been asked to participate actively in the steering committee of Piano Mattei».
Father Dante Carraro, Director General Doctors with Africa CUAMM: «CUAMM, which I am speaking for, is itself a faith based organization. That is why we truly believe in the role FBOs play on the ground, in Africa. They are on the frontline of healthcare service delivery in low and middle income countries (LMIC), they keep up a widely underestimated work, barely recognized that we want to support and amplify».
Tom Aliti, Commissioner Health Services, Health Sector Partners & Multisectoral Coordination, Ministry of Health Uganda: «Ugandan health system is wonderful and strong. We aim at reaching the universal health coverage and in doing that, we are aware of the importance of working with partners such as CUAMM and FBOs which is something we started doing. Both the Government and the Ministry of Health have set a technical working group to jointly identify needs and priorities therefore design responses especially to address the urgent crisis in Sudan which has so far caused 1.5 million refugees, and also the crisis in Central African Republic without forgetting the urgency to plan a response strategy to the rising threat of climate change».
A first panel was dedicated to the role international cooperation agencies have in supporting and promoting healthcare in Africa. In conversation with Gary Cohen – CEO & Co-founder Maternal Newborn Health Innovation, Peter Natiello – USAID and Juliette Prodhan – FCDO highlighted the importance of driving locally targeted interventions for more sustainable and long-lasting results remarking lessons learned over their career in the humanitarian sector.
Peter Natiello, Senior Humanitarian and Development Advisor, USAID’s Bureau of Humanitarian Assistance: «Faith Based Organization have really strong and healthy christian values and those intangible assets are critical to success in development project. And it’s precisely those things and those intangible assets that make faith-based organizations such an important partner to USAID. And just very quickly, I would like to mention the work that USAID is doing in Africa, Uganda, hand-in-hand with CUAMM: that has been critical to strengthen local health systems in those isolated places where precisely the refugees crisis have put additional stress on health systems».
Juliette Prodhan, Deputy Director, Development Policy, UK Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office – FCDO: «The ability of FBOs to link with communities, to influence communities, to influence behaviours is something we have witnessed during Covid epidemic they were on the frontline of vaccination campaign, they role in influencing is very important for us. And also their presence in the last mile, is really important. We need to work with people who understand communities’ dynamics and who serve in the most poor countries where the most fragile are and where we want to develop our projects even further. That is where FBOs are. The ideal would be for States to be accountable to their citizens and for State-citizenship’s relation to be really strong so that in the long run we know we have sustainable interventions».
Not only international cooperation agencies, private foundations also play a crucial role being them capable of delivering financial support to FBOs on the frontline of healthcare service delivery. The second panel “The commitment of private foundations on FBOs work in healthcare” was an enriching opportunity for us all to share objectives, identify common values and set the way further.
Sister Jane Wakahiu, Associate Vice President of Program Operations and Head of Catholic Sisters Initiative at Conrad N. Hilton Foundation: «Today I am delighted about the partnership with Doctors with Africa CUAMM in improving the capacity of our 100 catholic sisters involved in healthcare in Ethiopia and Central African Republic. Strengthening and supporting health facilities run by sisters is crucial for improving health service delivery and fostering striving community».
Filippo Uberti, Head of Health Unit ENI Foundation: «As an international company working in the energy sector we are called to respond to many urgent challenges. Firstly, the challenge of ensuring the health of our workers, their families and communities, secondly the challenge to invest in new model of energy such as renewable energies. The latter is probably the most challenging for us. Yet, we have to address it not only because the connection between environment and human health is something a growing number of governments are sheding a light on but also, because it is our mission to guarantee the well-being of our workers, families and communities across the 72 countries where we work».
Eva Kooijman, Philantropy Officer, Caritas Pro Vitae Gradu Charitable Trust: «FBOs are key actor in reaching their own community. What makes CUAMM a brilliant partner is the capacity to have reached itself 133 FBOs showing us a commitment that was beyond our expectations».
We could not fail to dedicate time to results collected from the assessment visits on the ground. Research is indeed an essential compenent of CUAMM’s work and one much needed to be accountable to partners and communities. That’s why the meeting was also the occasion to present the assessment from the visits conducted over the past 2 years in 64 health facilities across 11 countries in sub-Sahaaran Africa, managed by 48 FBOs.
Emanuela Parotto, Clinical Advisor: «The assessment report we are presenting today provides a critical insight in the challenges faced by FBOs in running health facilities in sub-Sahaaran Africa. The report is meant to underline the need for a long-lasting change in the provision of healthcare services. Through CUAMM visits on the ground, we had the opportunity to see first hand the key role played by FBOs in the provision of healthcare services to the most vulnerable populations despite the numerous challenges such as lack of human resources, weak capacity in disaster management and financial constraints. Collaboration and partnerships can indeed make a difference».
“The role FBOs play in the delivery of quality health services to the most vulnerable” was the latest panel of the meeting, followed by an insightful and thought-provoking Q&A session.
«What we can do together with CUAMM is to amplify the voice of Africa so that its needs become clear to everyone» said Fr. Dumisani Vilakati, Regional Coordinator for Africa, Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development. «I know that many colleagues from the Dicastery who are working in Africa, they have the feeling to be unnoticed.We do not talk enough about Africa. We do know that there are many crisis ongoing: in Ukraine and in the Holy Land. Yet, the tremendous time people are experiencing in Sudan, South Sudan and Ethiopia is equally worth our attention. Because wherever a war is, health needs spike and responses are needed» concluded Fr. Dumisani Vilakati.
Suor Adou Adjua Josephine, Secretary of l’Union des Religieux dans la Santé et le Social en Côte d’Ivoire – U.R.S.S.C.I.: «U.R.S.S.C.I was first funded in 2005 but it was 2020 when the government of Ivory Coast recognized the network. Today, nearly 100 health facilities are part of URSSCI counting both general hospital and first level health facilities located in remote villages. The mission that we all share as member, is to improve the quality of health services provided within the centres and to facilitate access to healthcare services especially to those most in need. In order to achieve our goal, we need first and foremost to be trained. Training is key and we need to improve our capacity in management, administration, law, healthcare service provision, communication and visibility, technical assistance. Just to mention a few. URSSCI is becoming more and more important to represent FBOs health facilities before the Ministry of Health and to have a seat at the table».
To conclude the event, Andrea Atzori, Head of International Relations, Doctors with Africa CUAMM gave the participants an overview of the major current challenges stressing the urgent need to build strong connection because «today Africa, or we’d better say the whole world is experiencing numerous crisis to which none of us alone can provide a response». Among the main ones underlined: the climate crisis, the economic crisis and the numerous huminatrian crisis ongoing. «“Partnership” is the key word: it is urgent to build connections as these that I see here, right in this room where we have gathered with partner, governments, FBOs, companies and private foundations. We have to debunk the myth that funds and money can drive change. It is a misconception. Financial support is without any doubt needed but it only become effective when it does change people’s lives, also in the hardest to reach areas» concluded Atzori.
The activities implemented in collaboration with Governments and local communities are supported by Hilton Foundation, Caritas Pro Vitae, Vitol Foundation and Eni Foundation.
The annual International Conference on Public Health in Africa (CPHIA) is organised by the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) and provides a unique African-led platform for leaders across the continent to reflect on lessons learned in health and science, and align on a way forward for creating more resilient health systems.
CPHIA 2023 is the third edition of the conference, which was held virtually in 2021 and in-person in Kigali, Rwanda, in 2022. This year, CPHIA will be hosted by the Zambian Ministry of Health and takes place 27-30 November in Lusaka, Zambia, under the theme “Breaking Barriers: Repositioning Africa in the Global Health Architecture” – a theme that will be explored across nine plenary sessions, several parallel and abstract sessions and dozens of official side events.
CUAMM will host its own virtual side event on November 22nd at 6 pm (CAT) via Zoom Meeting under the theme Operational research and civil society contributions to enhance Universal Health Coverage: the experience of Doctors with Africa CUAMM. Among the panelists: CUAMM experts and University professors from both Italy, Ethiopia and Uganda as well as partners, namely UNICEF Mozambique and collaborators from two African Universities namely Mekerere University, Uganda and Catholic University of Mozambique. The speakers will take the floor to explore the relationship between operational research and civil society engagement in enhancing universal health coverage and navigate the long-term experience of Doctors with Africa CUAMM who has been working for over 70 years for the promotion of the global right to health in Sub-Saharan Africa.
The event aims to reach individuals from academic and government institutions; national, regional, community and faith-based organizations; private sector firms; as well as researchers, front-line health workers and advocates. Anyone, however, is welcome to participate in the conference.
Building on the previous year’s convenings, CPHIA 2023 will showcase how the continent is breaking down barriers, reaffirming Africa as a powerhouse in science and innovation, generator of new knowledge and health products, and exemplar of progress.
Today, at Doctors with Africa CUAMM’s headquarters in Padua, saw the presentation of our “Italian Response to COVID-19” intervention plan, part of CUAMM’s broader program for Italy that leverages our organization’s network of volunteers and partnerships with health professionals and trainers to continue to tackle the Covid-19 emergency. Centered around prevention, the plan focuses in particular on the weakest and most marginalized groups of society, and – thanks to the year-long support of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) – involves partnerships with health facilities, universities, umbrella associations and volunteer groups throughout Italy.
Speakers at the presentation included representatives from USAID and the United States Embassy in Italy, as well as from CUAMM support groups around Italy and several other partners involved in the plan.
As Don Dante Carraro, director of Doctors with Africa CUAMM, explained: “Covid-19 underscoreshow crucial it is to think about health increasingly in global terms. In recent years CUAMM’s commitment in this area has involved a focus on our work with university-based health trainers and our support groups in Italy. Now we are eager to expand the sharing of this experience and know-how with our own communities, putting it even more at their service during this health crisis. As we at CUAMM ponder the recent words of the President of the Republic, who called for ‘a commitment to help rebuild the fabric of our society, strengthening our ability to handle upcoming crises and reviving our confidence in the future’, we feel compelled to do our own part, and want to thank our many partners for supporting us in this effort – especially USAID, for standing side by side with us in this huge challenge.”
Awareness-raising, training, and – last but not least – support to health facilities and the most vulnerable: these are the keywords of CUAMM’s emergency response plan.
THE NUMBERS: 27 volunteer groups |3,800 volunteers |11 Italian regions |39 universities |12,000 junior doctors | 25,000 food kits distributed
Welcome presentation
Veronica Censi – Project Manager Italian Response to COVID19
Francesca Benciolini – Human Resources and International Cooperation Assessor of City of Padua
Vincenzo Gottardo – Vice President of Province of Padua
Mr. Daniel Ross – Economic Counselor of American Embassy to Italy
Mr. Marcus Johnson – USAID Representative in Rome
Andrea Atzori – CUAMM Head of International relations
Dr. Carmelo Fanelli and Anna Castegnaro
Nicola Samà and Elio Zanni
Prof. Liviana Da Dalt, Claudia Marotta and Alice Lupato
Nicole Laforgia, Anna Iavazzo and Don Fabrizio di Loreto
Fr. Dante Carraro, Mr. Daniel Ross and Mr. Marcus Johnson
Fr. Dante Carraro, Mr. Daniel Ross, Mr. Marcus Johnson and Anthony Colarossi
This study/report/audio/visual/other information/media product (specify) is made possible by the generous support of the American people through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). The contents are the responsibility of Doctors with Africa CUAMM, recipient of the Fixed Amount Award (FAA) No. 7200AA20FA00013 and do not necessarily reflect the views of USAID or the United States Government.
