Let's care about water like life depends on it
It was a landmark WORLD WATER DAY!
UN Secretary General, Antonio Guterres made an unprecedented announcement, followed by an endorsement from World Health Organization Director General, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. We at Faiths for Safe Water could not be more pleased:
UN's Guterres:
“Today, I am using the launch of the Water Action Decade to make a global call to action for water, sanitation and hygiene – or WASH -- in all health care facilities.
A recent survey of 100,000 facilities found that more than half lack simple necessities, such as running water and soap - and they are supposed to be healthcare facilities.
The result is more infections, prolonged hospital stays and sometimes death.
We must work to prevent the spread of disease.
Improved water, sanitation and hygiene in health facilities is critical to this effort."
WHO's Tedros:
"Many health facilities still lack access to even basic water, soap & sanitation. We can’t expect #HealthForAll without these essentials. We support the global call to action for water, sanitation and hygiene in ALL health care facilities."
GROWING BIPARTISAN SUPPORT:
Meanwhile, growing bipartisan support in Congress continues to improve the lives of people in the world who have no access to life-giving clean drinking water, sanitation and hygiene. Learn more here from Global Water 2020 Principal, John Oldfield.
UN's Guterres:
“Today, I am using the launch of the Water Action Decade to make a global call to action for water, sanitation and hygiene – or WASH -- in all health care facilities.
A recent survey of 100,000 facilities found that more than half lack simple necessities, such as running water and soap - and they are supposed to be healthcare facilities.
The result is more infections, prolonged hospital stays and sometimes death.
We must work to prevent the spread of disease.
Improved water, sanitation and hygiene in health facilities is critical to this effort."
WHO's Tedros:
"Many health facilities still lack access to even basic water, soap & sanitation. We can’t expect #HealthForAll without these essentials. We support the global call to action for water, sanitation and hygiene in ALL health care facilities."
GROWING BIPARTISAN SUPPORT:
Meanwhile, growing bipartisan support in Congress continues to improve the lives of people in the world who have no access to life-giving clean drinking water, sanitation and hygiene. Learn more here from Global Water 2020 Principal, John Oldfield.
WHAT ARE YOU PASSIONATE ABOUT?
hunger?
maternal and child health?
food security?
malnutrition?
girls' education?
gender equality?
violence against women?
HIV/AIDS?
poverty?
national security?
economic productivity?
kids living past that vulnerable 5th birthday?
To solve any one of these problems (and many more) you need to know about the
GLOBAL WATER CRISIS
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FACT: Fifty percent of undernutrition in children is due to inadequate water and sanitation.
FACT: Diarrhea and pneumonia are the two leading causes of child death and both are frequently caused by unsafe water. FACT: One-third of school-age children in developing countries are infected with intestinal worms from water. FACT: 272 million school days are lost due to diarrhea. |
Photo: David Rochkind, USAID
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Photo: H2O for Life
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FACT: Walking down a deserted path to collect water or seeking a bit of privacy to relieve oneself leads to daily violence against women. Read a deeply disturbing, detailed report by WaterAid or for excerpts: click here
FACT: Forced to face taunting a humiliation, girls drop out of school when they reach puberty and don't have facilities to take care of their needs and privacy. FACT: Water is a woman's burden. Bodies break under the heavy buckets, jars and jerry cans filled with water that makes their families sick. They have no choice. FACT: At least 1.8 billion people globally use a source of drinking water that is fecally contaminated. |
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FACT: 663 million people today lack access to safe water and 2.4 billion (one sixth of the world) doesn't have the dignity and safety of a toilet.
FACT: Fifty different diseases and illnesses are linked to unsafe water. FACT: Immuno-suppressed HIV/AIDS patients must take anti-retroviral drugs with filthy water that makes them sick and unable to properly absorb the medications. FACT: 17 different Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs) are caused by poor water and sanitation, but we’re curing NTDs with medication rather than preventing them all together with access to safe water and sanitation. |
Photo: Engineers Without Borders
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Water is the source of life and the world's dirty secret.
The #1 killer of children isn't guns or wars, it's this:
The #1 killer of children isn't guns or wars, it's this:
Photo: H2O for Life
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What do Jay-Z and Dr. Jane Goodall have in common?
They're both deeply concerned about THE GLOBAL WATER CRISIS: Faiths for Safe Water had the privilege to interview Dr. Jane Goodall about the global water crisis at the World's Religions. Water is a Women's Burden. View 2-minutes that will change your perspective, by National Geographic: The Burden of Thirst |
Rapper Jay-Z, working with MTV and UNICEF, created a compelling video diary. See some very personal reactions as he visits a village in the southern African nation of Angola.
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By now you are probably ready for some good news. And there is good news.
This problem is SOLVABLE, and TOGETHER, we can turn this:
This problem is SOLVABLE, and TOGETHER, we can turn this:
Photo: H2O for Life
INTO THIS:
Photo: Water For People/Nancy Hass
And make water the source of health and life for ALL.