March 22nd marks World Water Day, which invites us to reflect on the value and importance of water for life and health. In the pandemic, it is an essential resource to guarantee the necessary hygiene standards and prevent contagion. After last Sunday's Angelus, Pope Francis stressed that 'sister water is an irreplaceable gift of God', and that 'too many brothers and sisters have access to too little and perhaps polluted water.'
Sant'Egidio, active in some of the poorest areas of the world, protects the right to life and health also by guaranteeing access to clean drinking water. Its initiatives are mainly concentrated in Africa, they include opening wells in rural areas and refugee camps, installing cisterns in prisons and running nutritional centres to counter child malnutrition.
