Two days in Rome against neglected diseases. Two days of study and sensitisation organised by the Order of the Ministers of the Sick to break down the wall of silence that envelops all of those diseases which have been weakened or have disappeared in the developed world but which still cause thousands of victims in Asia, Africa and South America.

The initiatives of the programme met with great success and witnessed major participation: the International symposium ‘The Challenges of Neglected Diseases’, on Saturday 19 October, and the march of solidarity ‘Journeying with St. Camillus’, on Sunday 20 October.

The International Symposium ‘The Challenges of Neglected Diseases’ was an opportunity to reflect upon the subject at a very high level and took place in the Chapter Hall of the generalate house of the Order. This meeting witnessed the participation of important figures such as Fr. Augusto Chendi, M.I., the Under-Secretary of the Pontifical Council for Health Care workers (for Health Pastoral Care), and Andrea Manto, the Director of Pastoral Care in Health of the Vicariate of Rome.

The Minister of Health Beatrice Lorenzin sent a message to those taking part in which she wanted to observe how important it was to ‘implement and spread the strategies established by the World Health Organisation (WHO), inasmuch as they can really reduce the burden of diseases and break the cycle of infection, disability and loss of opportunities that keep people in a state of poverty’.

The next day the march of solidarity ‘Journeying with St. Camillus, organised in cooperation with the Montefortian association, gave great visibility to the struggle against neglected diseases and ‘forgotten sick people’. More than six hundred people met at the Church of St. Mary Magdalene in Campo Marzio. After the Holy Mass, presided over by Fr. Augusto Chendi, the Superior General, Fr. Renato Salvatore, set the march on its way.

With banners and flags but above all with songs and prayers the march went through the streets of the historic centre of Rome bringing a message of love and solidarity. From Piazza del Pantheon the march wound its way to St. Peter’s Square through Via dei Coronari, following the route that St. Camillus took every day to go from the generalate house to the Hospital of the Holy Spirit to care for the sick. After reaching St. Peter’s Square those taking part listened to the Angelus of Pope Francis.

Before leaving, the pilgrims had an opportunity to visit the ‘St. Camillus de Lellis Museum’, which has been recently restored, enlarged and enriched, as well as the Cubiculum, the room where on 14 July 1614 the Giant of Charity went to heaven and where the relic of his heart is currently kept. In addition the docu-fiction ‘Pray for me’ was shown, a film account of the last year of the life of the Patron Saint of the Sick.