When it Comes to Waterworks, Congress Works!

By Rabbi Jack Bemporad for The Huffington Post

Once you hear Jordan's story, you won't forget it.

Jordan is a young American radiologist who traveled to the outskirts of Honduras' capital city on a mission trip with her church college group. She was there to assist with much needed basic medical services at a community center called Campamento Betel (Camp Betel). Soon after her arrival she bonded with a young friend and patient, a full-of-life 9-year-old boy who enjoyed soccer and laughing with the other children of Camp Betel.

The boy had come to the medical clinic because an infection had spread to his left eye. Jordan and her team diagnosed what's called a Neglected Tropical Disease. NTDs, often caused by lack of clean water and poor sanitation, are so widespread that they impact 1.4 billion people, 500 million are children. The doctors prescribed a course of treatment for the boy, the key to which was a steady routine of hand and face washing with clean water.

A year later Jordan returned to Camp Betel for a second tour with the clinic. She was surprised to see her young friend back at the clinic. The infection had grown and now formed a tumor over his left eye and part of his face. The once cheerful child was morose, dark, and distant.

Despite following doctor's orders, his parents were shocked that their son's condition had worsened. The doctors were not.

Water around Camp Betel is unsafe. Like one sixth of the world's population, his family has neither safe water nor appropriate sanitation. For them, water -- the foundation of life -- is a disease-ridden gateway to illness. The World Health Organization lists 25 dangerous diseases as "water-related," resulting in somewhere between three to six million deaths each year, mostly affecting children. Almost 800 million people have no safe drinking water and an astounding 2.5 billion people lack basic sanitation worldwide. But unlike so many complex problems, sustainable solutions to the global water crisis really are within our reach. We have the technology. We need the leadership. This past week we may have seen just that.

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