Sharon's Reflections: Clean Water Initiative Project and True Health Care Reform

November 29, 2010 - Sharon's Reflections:

Clean Water Initiative Project and True Health Care Reform

Paying for Dehydration Diseases, Dry Air, Dry Eye and Dry Skin.

On November 29, 2010, I had two fascinating special guests on the Sharon Kleyne Hour. They were John Mashaka of the John Mashaka Foundation/Clean Water Initiative Project, who is devoting his life to bringing sustainable safe clean water to rural villages in Africa; and BJ White, who has written a book (True Health Care Reform) critical of the new health care reform law ("Obama Care") in the United States.

The theme for all Sharon Kleyne Hour - Power of Water shows is water and health, with emphasis on the global water and dry air crisis as the cause of the growing epidemic of dehydration diseases such as dry eyes, dry skin, acne, glaucoma, skin cancer, etc. In the United States today, dehydration diseases, including dry eye, are becoming crisis health issues with a major impact on health care costs and health insurance. In Africa and many other places, lack of safe and abundant fresh water has a major impact on public health costs and practices because it also causes dehydration diseases, such as diarrhea, cholera, severe dry eye and premature blindness.

I was excited to talk with Mr. Mashaka because of his involvement with clean water projects in rural Africa. We have had many guests on this subject (see "water and sanitation" in the show archives). Worldwide, 1.6 billion people lack safe drinking water. Africa is in a water crisis! 80% of illness is caused by dehydration and polluted water. Dehydration diseases such as severe dry eye leading to blindness, allergies, cholera and diarrhea are out of control. Inadequate water makes economic development impossible

Mr. White gave us an interesting perspective on the tie-in between health care and many "power of water" issues discussed on the Sharon Kleyne Hour. We've had a few previous guests discussing health insurance and health care reform but not nearly enough. Again, health insurance and health care reform are is relevant to water issues because of their impact on health care in general. Mr. White definitely agreed that many disease symptoms that are becoming more and more prevalent, such as dry eye, dry skin and skin cancer, are related to water, dry air and dehydration.

Worldwide, 5,000 children die every single day of water and dehydration related diseases. With rampant severe dry eye in many areas, one person goes blind every five seconds. The United States is not immune from the dry air conditions that cause dry eye and 100 US cities are designated as "dry eye hot spots." In the Haiti rescue operation, safe and abundant drinking water, to prevent dehydration diseases such as cholera and severe dry eye, is the number one concern of public health workers.

What can you do? Be proactive, become involved and discover the countless seemingly small but powerful steps you can personally take to protect yourself and your loved ones. And don't miss a single episode of the Sharon Kleyne Hour Power of Water.