HERE'S AN ACRONYM YOU NEED TO KNOW:

WASH

WAter/Sanitation/ Hygiene

*GREAT VIDEO LINKS AT THE BOTTOM OF THIS PAGE!

Water:  It's the world's dirty secret:



• 50% of all malnutrition is due to a lack of safe water and sanitation.

• It accounts for 80% of all disease in the developing world.

• Half the world's hospital beds in developing countries are occupied by patients suffering from water-borne diseases.

• This crisis is the #1 killer of children; more than war, or malaria, AIDS, and TB combined.

• 8000 children die every day.

• A child under 5 dies every 20 seconds.

• Water is a woman's burden. Bodies break under the heavy buckts, jars and jerry cans.

• Women spend 200 million hours every day hauling water.

• One-third of school-age children in developing countries are infected with intestinal worms.

• 272 million school days are lost due to diarhea.

• Girls drop out of school when they reach puberty and don't have facilities to take care of their needs.
  

• We spend millions distributing AIDS drugs to patients who must take them with filthy water!

• Not to mention:

  UNSAFE PREGNANCIES AND BIRTHS, INFANT MORTALITY, MALARIA BREEDING GROUNDS, U.S. WATER WARS, MAJOR U.S. RIVERS ARE DRYING UP, THE BOTTLED WATER DEBACLE, CIVIL INSTABILITY, ETHANOL WASTE, DESALINATION WASTE, ENDANGERS SPECIES, HUMAN RIGHTS, PRIVATIZATION OF WATER, PUBERTY AND HUMILIATION, RAPE/MOLESTATION/SEXUAL EXPLOITATION, ILLITERACY, SCHOOL DROP-OUT, CYCLE OF POVERTY, FOOD INSECURITY, CLIMATE CHANGE, WATERSHED DESTRUCTION, DAMS, POLLUTION FROM AGRIBUSINESS, LIVESTOCK/FACTORY FARMING, FRACKING AND MINING, MEDICAL CARE COSTS, RIVERS/LAKES/STREAMS ARE DYING, PNEUMONIA, DIARRHEA AND DEHYDRATION, 25 MAJOR DISEASES, DRINKING WATER THREATENED IN THE U.S., GLOBAL DEVELOPMENT IS HALTED, WAR IS NOT, MOST WATER/SANITATION DEATHS ARE PREVENTABLE, AND EVEN THOUGH THE WORLD IS MADE OF WATER  WE ARE RUNNING OUT!

  Water really does affect everything…
  

*QUALITY VIDEOS, DEFINITELY WORTH WATCHING:

Rapper Jay Z, working with MTV and Unicef, created a compelling video diary. See his very personal reactions when he visited a  village in the southern African nation of Angola:

Jay Z Video Diary

Spend a couple personal minutes with Matt Damon about why he's committed to solving the global water crisis, courtesy Water.org:

Matt Damon Interview

Water is a Women's Burden. View 2-minutes that will change your perspective, by National Geographic:

The Burden of Thirst



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