Inequality in access to water and sanitation in Brazil through the lens of the 2030 Agenda
1
Vice-Presidency for Environment, Health Care and Health Promotion, Oswaldo Cruz Foudantion, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
2
Institute of Communication and Scientific and Technological Information in Health, Oswaldo Cruz Foudantion, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
3
Sergio Arouca National School of Public Health, Oswaldo Cruz Foudantion, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Popul. Med. 2026;8(Supplement Supplement 1):A1315
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND:
In Brazil, the incidence of diseases related to inadequate environmental sanitation (DRSAI)¹ persists, especially in poorer regions, sustaining inequalities The UN 2030 Agenda, to which Brazil is a signatory, highlights among its targets: ensuring universal and equitable access to safe and affordable drinking water by 2030 (Target 6.1) and, within the same timeframe, ensuring adequate and equitable sanitation and hygiene for all, with special attention to women, girls, and populations in vulnerable situations (Target 6.2). This study analyzed access to water and sanitation services in Brazil in light of these two targets of the 2030 Agenda.
METHODS:
Ecological study using data from the 2010 and 2022 national censuses covering Brazil’s 5,570 municipalities. The indicators analyzed were: (1) residents in private households connected to the general water supply network; and (2) residents in private households with a bathroom for exclusive household use connected to the general sewer network, stormwater drainage system, or a septic tank connected to the network. The results were processed using QGIS software to produce thematic maps.
RESULTS:
At the national level, the distribution of municipalities with access to safely managed water supply services showed a slight improvement from 2010 to 2022, increasing from 81.48% to 82.89%. Access to safely managed sanitation services nationwide exhibited a more pronounced increase, rising from 52.09% to 62.44%. Despite these modest overall improvements, marked inequalities persist among municipalities, with substantially worse outcomes observed in the North and Northeast regions, the poorest areas of the country.
CONCLUSIONS:
Brazil has made insufficient progress to achieve the targets set by the 2030 Agenda to address inequality and reduce the deficit in water and sanitation services in the country.
In Brazil, the incidence of diseases related to inadequate environmental sanitation (DRSAI)¹ persists, especially in poorer regions, sustaining inequalities The UN 2030 Agenda, to which Brazil is a signatory, highlights among its targets: ensuring universal and equitable access to safe and affordable drinking water by 2030 (Target 6.1) and, within the same timeframe, ensuring adequate and equitable sanitation and hygiene for all, with special attention to women, girls, and populations in vulnerable situations (Target 6.2). This study analyzed access to water and sanitation services in Brazil in light of these two targets of the 2030 Agenda.
METHODS:
Ecological study using data from the 2010 and 2022 national censuses covering Brazil’s 5,570 municipalities. The indicators analyzed were: (1) residents in private households connected to the general water supply network; and (2) residents in private households with a bathroom for exclusive household use connected to the general sewer network, stormwater drainage system, or a septic tank connected to the network. The results were processed using QGIS software to produce thematic maps.
RESULTS:
At the national level, the distribution of municipalities with access to safely managed water supply services showed a slight improvement from 2010 to 2022, increasing from 81.48% to 82.89%. Access to safely managed sanitation services nationwide exhibited a more pronounced increase, rising from 52.09% to 62.44%. Despite these modest overall improvements, marked inequalities persist among municipalities, with substantially worse outcomes observed in the North and Northeast regions, the poorest areas of the country.
CONCLUSIONS:
Brazil has made insufficient progress to achieve the targets set by the 2030 Agenda to address inequality and reduce the deficit in water and sanitation services in the country.
| eISSN: | 2654-1459 |
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