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Heal the sick who are there and tell them, ‘The kingdom of God has come near to you.’
Luke 10:9
Churches have long been in the forefront of the provision of health, medical and psychological care to the communities in which they carry out their ministries. Still today, especially in Africa and Asia and through the networks of Christian health associations, church-based health-care continues to serve people even in some of the remotest and most vulnerable communities.
Public health has also been – and remains – a major focus of the World Council of Churches (WCC). The former WCC Christian Medical Commission (CMC) was established in 1967 to accompany and help coordinate the health and healing ministries of the WCC member churches, focussing on promotion and advocacy for community-based health care programmes. Other ecumenical initiatives emerged to address additional pressing issues in the field of public health, such as the Ecumenical Pharmaceutical Network (EPN), the Ecumenical HIV and AIDS Initiatives and Advocacy (EHAIA), and the Ecumenical Advocacy Alliance (EAA) HIV and AIDS campaign, and the ecumenical movement was heavily engaged in the response to the global COVID-19 pandemic.
The principles undergirding the CMC’s promotion of community-based health care were adopted by the World Health Organization (WHO) and UNICEF in 1975, under the rubric of Primary Health Care (PHC). In 1978, the WCC CMC was closely associated with the development of the Alma-Ata Declaration, with its vision of “health for all”, and identifying PHC as the key to the attainment of this goal. In this regard we recall the WCC Executive Committee’s 2018 statement on “Ecumenical Witness and Action for Primary Health Care for All: 40th Anniversary of the Alma-Ata Declaration”.
This heritage of ecumenical leadership for public health is now carried forward by the newly-established WCC Commission of the Churches on Health and Healing (CCHH).
In this work, WCC has maintained close relationships with key international agencies in the field of global public health, especially WHO and UNAIDS.
Over the last 20 years, the global community has made healthcare more accessible to the vulnerable and marginalised communities. Significant progress has been made, and millions of lives have been saved. However, currently there are major reductions in investment in health, development and humanitarian support. This is impacting programmes and initiatives targeting HIV, malaria, TB, and many other programmes supported under the sustainable development goals, such as maternal and child health, reproductive health, and nutrition programs, as well as those for chronic diseases. There is also an impact on the elderly, who will encounter even more difficulties in accessing proper care. There is a reduction – and in some cases the complete withdrawal of – support for international public health institutions such as WHO and UNAIDS, as well as for research, monitoring, and coordination of many global processes, resulting in the undermining and dismantling of important health services. Ongoing wars and violence severely handicap service delivery and access to medication and care. The inability of the international community to resolve these crises has profound consequences on the health and well-being of people in these regions and beyond. With an increasing sense of insecurity, nations are mobilising resources for arming and prioritising security and defence at the expense of commitments to strengthening communities, their health and development.
We have the gift of hope that endures even in the most difficult times. It is our calling to provide hope for the health of people and communities. Responding appropriately now is a generational task. As churches and faith communities, we urge governments and the international community to take consistent and sustainable practical steps to make a meaningful difference in people's lives.
Therefore, the Central Committee, meeting in Johannesburg, South Africa, on 18-24 June 2025, calls on WCC member churches and ecumenical partners to
- Reflect and prayerfully mobilise the contribution the church can make to build healing communities, starting with our personal lives, our families and our congregations.
- Build listening, caring, and sharing communities that are safe and sacred spaces that promote the dignity, health and well-being of all, giving particular attention to the most vulnerable among us.
- Engage in direct advocacy – meet with government representatives to call for increased funding and action on health, climate, and social justice.
- Maintain and re-affirm commitment to the churches’ historic and essential ministries of health and healing.
- Engage with the health community and develop ways to make Christian health care more affordable and accessible, especially in those areas where nobody else offers such care.
- Engage churches in caring for those in need in our community, e.g., to help build resilience in countering the health impacts of climate change and carry out home care programmes that will bring healing in the midst of crisis.
- Mobilise faith communities – encourage congregations to pray, embody, educate, and take concrete actions in support of these causes.
- Use new technologies responsibly, whether for communication, care or advocacy.
- Partner with local and global initiatives – strengthen collaborations with humanitarian organisations, civil society groups, and international networks working for justice, unity, reconciliation, healing and peace.
The Central Committee also calls:
- on countries to prioritise health in national budgets to increase and sustain domestic health financing.
- for measures to be taken to ensure sustainability of essential health services in countries for whom the recent reductions have posed a particular challenge.
- on countries to increase their contributions to multilateral health institutions, such as the WHO, Global Fund, Gavi, UNAIDS, and UNFPA, to strengthen preparedness and response to global health crises and promote equity in global health.
- for funding regional manufacturing hubs for vaccines, diagnostics, and essential medicines to support local manufacturing and supply chain resilience.
The Gospel calls us to overcome fear and to be bearers of hope and transformation in our world. In his narration of the parable of the Samaritan (Luke 10:30-37), Jesus provides us with an example of how we ought to respond to each other as neighbours. Let us lift our voices and join our hands together, ensuring our churches and governments act boldly and justly in the critical areas that contribute to the health and healing of people and creation. May we embody Christ's love for the most vulnerable and work towards a future of healing, justice, and peace for all.
