WCC NEWS: WCC to share insights at Caritas health conference

Rev. Dr Kenneth Mtata, World Council of Churches (WCC) programme director for Life, Justice, and Peace, will participate in a conference, “A holistic approach to health in the Caritas Confederation.”  9 March 2022, Barabás, Hungary: Aid workers for Caritas Hungary load a van full of supplies at a Caritas Hungary support centre for incoming refugees in the small border crossing village of Barabás in northeast Hungary. Photo: Albin Hillert/LWF 24 June 2026 The event is being organized by Caritas and the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development. Conference participants will reflect on the diverse health activities conducted at local, national, regional, and international levels, while showcasing existing work and best practices across the network. The conference will also focus on strengthening global partnerships, and fostering a shared understanding of Caritas Internationalis’ strategic relationships with regional and international bodies. Participants will identify critical research gaps and capacity-building needs to ensure interventions are evidence-based and sustainable. In his remarks and participation, Mtata will emphasize the WCC’s role as a bridge between global health systems and communities. He will also describe the WCC’s relationship with the Global Fund, UNAIDS, WHO, and others. Mtata will explore the deep community presence and legitimacy of faith-based actors. Faith communities are not peripheral actors—they are embedded systems of care and influence. The WCC participation will involve a high-level panel  on 24 June entitled “The Value of Partnership for Faith-Based Organizations in meeting today’s Global Health challenges.” During the panel, speakers will emphasize that faith communities and religious leaders are ready and willing to work alongside all partners to advance global health. The contribution of faith-based groups is not not only spiritual or moral—it is also technical, evidence-based, and operational. “The WCC’s Health and Healing programme focuses on three priorities: strengthening local congregations’ engagement in holistic health, advocating on global health policy issues, and supporting effective, high-quality service delivery through church-based health providers,” said Mtata. See more

The World Council of Churches promotes Christian unity in faith, witness and service for a just and peaceful world. An ecumenical fellowship of churches founded in 1948, today the WCC brings together 356 Protestant, Orthodox, Anglican and other churches representing more than 580 million Christians in over 120 countries, and works cooperatively with the Roman Catholic Church. The WCC general secretary is Rev. Prof. Dr Jerry Pillay from the Uniting Presbyterian Church in Southern Africa. Media contact: +41 79 507 6363; www.oikoumene.org/press Our visiting address is: World Council of Churches Chemin du Pommier 42 Kyoto Building Le Grand-Saconnex CH-1218 Switzerland