It's flu season in the U.S.  At least it is in my house.  For nearly a week, my wife, the kids, and I have taken turns dealing with what we (for the benefit of the toddlers) call a "tummy bug."  "Tummy bugs," as I'm sure that anyone who has had one knows, often result in, how should I put this delicately, expulsion of the contents of one's "tummy," either upwards or downwards.  At the risk of getting too personal (if I haven't already) I'll simply say that our results have been typical.

So why am I telling you this?

Because as we've dealt with this illness in our family, not once did I worry about anyone's life being in danger.  Not once.  And that's because my family is lucky enough to live in the United States.  We have access to healthcare and clean water.  Plenty of food and safe fluids.

Around the world, however, diarrhea is a killer.  According to a 2009 report from UNICEF and the WHO, "Diarrhea remains the second leading cause of death among children under five globally.  Nearly one in five child deaths - about 1.5 million each year - is due to diarrhea.  It kills more young children than AIDS, malaria and measles combined."  Forty-six percent of these deaths occur in Africa.  In Ghana, diarrhea causes the deaths of 9% of all children who die before the age of five.  

Diarrhea is a huge health problem in Ghana, especially in rural areas, because clean water is so often lacking and appropriate sanitation is almost non-existant.  Twenty-six percent of all Ghanaians living outside the major cities have no source for clean drinking water and ninety-three percent of them have no access to improved sanitation systems.

But with your support, The Ghana Project can improve those numbers, one borehole, one latrine, and one village at a time.  

So, the next time your family's down with a "tummy bug," just be thankful that it is not that likely to kill any of you and remember those who aren't so fortunate.