Pope Leo XIV Calls for Compassionate Healthcare for Those who Suffer

4 weeks ago4 weeks ago3 mins Janica Southwick0

By Janica Southwick

Pope Leo XIV delivered a powerful message at a health conference organized by Caritas Internationalis, the Catholic church’s global humanitarian aid network: Salvation “begins with the concrete action of healing the wounds of those who suffer.” (1)

According to the Africa Europe Foundation, Africa is in the midst of a “health workforce crisis” with a staggering 672 million Africans lacking accessible basic healthcare. Africa carries roughly a quarter of the world’s disease burden with only 3% of its healthcare workers and less than one percent of the financial resources to tackle this burden. (2)

Ongoing efforts across Africa to increase medical professionals range from expanding educational infrastructure, to improving healthcare workers’ working conditions and financial incentives. However, without the proper funding, which includes systematic changes, these efforts will stagnate. Dr. Jean Kaseya, Director General of Africa Center for Disease Control, was featured on South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) News. He called out at the G20 Summit in South Africa for African nations to allocate 15% of national budget towards healthcare in this “new era where we have a decrease of external assistance and an increase in outbreaks.” (3)

In times of need, cooperation from governments in the form of securing a budget towards helping those who suffer, is, of course essential. However, how loud must the world shout to effectively grasp the attention needed for action? Now that Pope Leo XIV is joining in to push for healthcare for the most vulnerable, Africa watches to see if will more action will result from his message of “dignity that belongs to every human being simply by virtue of existing, of having been willed, created and loved by God.” (1)

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