One thing I love about my job is that no two days are the same.  “Policy and advocacy” means lots of things: listening, persuading, recommending a course of action and—perhaps most importantly—giving a voice to people who haven’t been given the opportunity to speak up for themselves. Advocacy happens when someone engages in dialogue about an issue they care about—and I care about making water and sanitation a reality for people in every corner of the globe.

Water is a women’s issue.

It’s an important adage, one that highlights how we expect governments to prioritize investments in safe drinking water, sanitation, hygiene (WASH), and water resource management. It links to the theme of this year’s World Water Day, too.

Ever heard of NTDs? They are the 17 neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) whose infamous members include trachoma, onchocerciasis, schistosomiasis, and soil transmitted helminths (STH) or worms.

Charles Dickens wrote “I hope I have taken every available opportunity of showing the want of sanitary improvements in the neglected dwellings of the poor.”

He couldn’t have been more spot on in his observations of the links between sanitation, poverty, rapid urbanization and population growth in the 19th century.

When you work on global health policy, it’s hard to avoid topics that push the boundaries of “polite” conversation. Lots of things about our bodies are considered private, even embarrassing. Poop is a good example.

Every year, more than seven million children worldwide die before they reach their fifth birthday. This month, the U.S. government will join the governments of India and Ethiopia to host a high-level international call to action that aims to reduce this figure by ending preventable child deaths. Here are three ways safe drinking water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) will play a critical role.

What if I were to tell you that, this week, the United States government has the chance to contribute to saving the lives of at least 400,000 children by the year 2015?

Some of us may not think twice about a glass of clean water, a swimmable lake, or a fishable river, but clean water is not an accident.

Not only did the 56th Commission on the Status of Women focus on the needs of rural women and girls—where access to safe drinking water and improved sanitation can be a significant barrier to equity, empowerment, health and education—but we had huge news from the UN just last week: The Millennium Development Goal (MDG) target on access to safe water worldwide has been reached.

Imagine being a girl growing up in a village in sub-Saharan Africa. There’s a good chance there is no well in your village, and your nearest source of water is a river or a stream that is as many as three miles away over what might be rocky, isolated terrain.

The water may not be safe to drink, because your village probably also lacks sanitation facilities, but it’s your only choice.