During my time in Ethiopia, I met many people who rely on health care outposts like the one seen in the bottom two pictures here. Through these outposts, children and families get vaccines, diagnoses, and treatment for diseases like diarrhea and pneumonia.
But most of these families, and most of their health care facilities, don’t have regular access to clean water. When I asked people about their greatest needs, almost all of them—from the Women’s Health Army volunteers to children—cited clean water first.
More than 45 million Ethiopians live without clean water. I spoke to women who walk miles every other day with heavy jerrycans to get drinking water for their families. The people I met explained how lack of clean water is a health problem, a financial problem, and a family problem.
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