Basic Sanitation in Brazilian Municipalities: Consequences for child health and Public Policy paths

Author: Helena Laneuville

Edition: 1st edition

Published in: December 2024

(Law No. 14,026/2020)

The new Sanitation Framework (Law 14.026/2020) gave greater prominence to city halls in the provision of water and sewage services and established the goal of 90% coverage for sanitary sewage and 99% for water supply by 2033. This Imds Technical Note discusses three topics. The first is the state of the provision of water and sewage services in Brazilian state capitals and the gap between these goals and reality. The second is the annual hospitalization rate of children under 5 years of age for sanitation-related diseases. The third is the public policy paths to improve the provision of water and sanitary sewage services.

In Brazilian state capital, the percentage of the population with access to sanitary sewage in the household in 2022 ranged between 100% and 8.1%. The percentage of residents with treated water at home ranged between 100% and 41%. The rate of hospitalization of young children for diseases related to inadequate basic sanitation is, on average, high, exceeding 800 hospitalizations per 100 thousand children in Belém (PA) and Brasília (DF). A brief review of the specialized literature shows that policies to improve basic sanitation coverage can, in fact, improve important indicators of child health. Although Brazil is moving in this direction, there is still a long way to go.

The data used can be found on the IMDS Elections Panel and information on public policies is on the Impact Platform, in which, in addition to sanitation, it is possible to learn about and consult several other types of public policies and programs.

Enjoy the reading!