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South Africa’s G20 Presidency: Catholic Entities Want Maternal Health, Child Hunger Eradication Prioritized

Catholic Entities' Submission to the G20 Summit in South Africa. Credit: SACBC
Sabrine Amboka

By Sabrine Amboka

Johannesburg, 24 October, 2025 / 11:20 am (ACI Africa).

The Justice and Peace Commission of the Southern African Catholic Bishops’ Conference (SACBC) in collaboration with other Church entities in Africa has called on global leaders to prioritize maternal health and child hunger in the ongoing Group of twenty (G20) presidency in  South Africa.

In their call that was joined by the Faith and Food Justice Initiative (FFJI), the Coalition of Catholic Sisters of Africa, the Jesuit Conference of Africa and Madagascar, and Caritas International, the Church entities emphasized that their submission to the G20 Summit aims to amplify the moral and ethical perspective of Africa’s faith communities in global economic decision-making.  

“When world leaders gather for the G20 summit, they bring with them competing priorities — markets, security, technology, and power.Yet, as people of faith, we call for a different kind of priority,” the Catholic faith entities said in a statement that they shared with ACI Africa on Tuesday, October 21, ahead of their meeting in Pretoria on Thursday, October 23.

They added, “We urge that, during South Africa’s G20 presidency, the focus of global leadership be placed firmly upon the most vulnerable, the women and children who bear the heaviest burdens of the current global economic crisis in Africa.”

According to the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) report, 64 million children under five in Africa 1 in 3 live in severe child food poverty, making them up to 50% more likely to suffer life-threatening malnutrition. The crisis is driven by inequality, conflict, and climate change, which disrupt food production and make nutritious foods unaffordable.

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Citing statistics that indicate a maternal mortality rate of approximately 199 per 100,000 live births, the faith leaders expressed concern over the worsening situation of child hunger and maternal health in South Africa and other African nations.

They described the situation of maternal health and child hunger in Africa as “something that is being ignored” and which they wish “to shine light on” in a submission they titled, “Feed, Heal, and Liberate Africa.”

“The world stands at a defining moment. The cries of the hungry echo across our continent. The tears of mothers who bury their children stain the soil of our shared humanity. These are not statistics. They are sacred lives, made in the image of God,” they said.

The catholic faith leaders found it regrettable that amidst global wealth and abundance, millions of children in Africa go to bed without food, and countless women face childbirth “as a sentence of suffering rather than a celebration of life.”

Drawing inspiration from Pope Francis’ call to resist the “globalization of indifference,” the Church entities appealed to world leaders to champion a “globalization of mercy,” where compassion shapes policy and justice informs governance.

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“As people of faith, we cannot remain silent. We are united in the conviction that every life is precious, every child deserves bread, and every mother deserves healing,” they said, and added, “From the wellspring of Catholic Social Teaching, we recall that the measure of any society is found in how it treats its most vulnerable.”

They also highlighted the urgent need for world leaders to address global financing for sustainable development.

The Catholic entities decried Africa’s growing public debt crisis, particularly in South Africa, Ghana, and Kenya, saying, “The economic dimension of this moral disorder is equally alarming.”

“The African Development Bank (AfDB, 2025) reports that Africa’s total public debt has surpassed US$1.13 trillion, with more than 20 countries spending a greater proportion of national  revenue on debt servicing than on health or education. South Africa’s external debt stands at US$180 billion, while Ghana and Kenya devote over 40% of government revenue to debt repayment,” they added.

Referring to the 4th International Conference on Financing for Development (FfD4) held in Seville in July 2025, the faith leaders noted that while innovative solutions such as debt swaps for sustainable development have been proposed, global action remains slow.

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“From a faith perspective, what is required now is conversion of debt into life-giving commitments,” they said, and added, “As the G20 gathers on our soil, we lift up our prayer and our moral appeal:  Let finance become mercy. Let policy become solidarity. Let justice become hope.”

Sabrine Amboka

Sabrine Amboka is a Kenyan journalist with a passion for Catholic church communication. She holds a bachelor’s degree in mass communication from St. Paul's University in Kenya.