In 2024, Brazil registered 344.4 thousand hospitalizations Related to diseases linked to lack of access to drinking water and sewage collection and treatment, diseases related to inadequate environmental sanitation (DRSAI).
Universalization of basic sanitation should reduce hospitalizations in almost 70% After three years-a savings of R $ 49,928 million per year in the Unified Health System (SUS), according to the study of the Brazil Institute, in partnership with ex anticipating, published on Wednesday (19).
The study also projects that, in the long run, the economy in hospital expenses would be R $ 1.255 billion .
Last year, insect -transmitted diseases represented almost half of hospitalizations, about 169,000 in the year. Almost all of this number (164.5 thousand) was due to dengue virus.
The other half refers to feco-oral transmission diseases, such as diarrhea and hepatitis A, with 47.6%, or 163.8 thousand cases. In the northeast of Brazil, 77% of hospitalizations were due to feco-oral transmission diseases.
Among the states, Maranhão (93%), Ceará (84.1%) and Rio Grande do Norte (83.2%) had the largest percentages. In the north, feco-oral diseases also prevailed over those transmitted by insects. In the case of Pará, the incidence rate of hospitalizations is the highest index in the region: 18.2 cases per ten thousand inhabitants.
The study shows that this group of diseases was the one that had the most reduction of since 2008, with 6.8% per year.
Deaths from diseases linked to lack of basic sanitation
The lack of basic sanitation led to death 11,544 people in 2023, according to the research. Diseases of feco-oral transmission represented almost half of the deaths with 49.1%, or 5,673 cases.
In almost every state of the country, cities were observed with increases in DRSAI mortality rates between 2008 and 2023. Of the 5,570 Brazilian cities, only 1,031 were reduced in the mortality rate, 2,791 were stagnant and 1,748 municipalities showed increased mortality rates.
Children and the elderly are more affected
Last year, the country registered 70,000 hospitalizations among children from 0 to 4 years old – 20% of total hospitalizations for these diseases.
In 2023, 601 deaths were accounted for by DRSAI among children up to 4 years old. Among children from 5 to 9 years old and adolescents from 10 to 19 years, another 203 deaths were recorded.
The study shows that, in senior age, the rate of hospitalization for diseases related to the lack of sanitation was also high: 23,664 cases every ten thousand elderly .
Children up to four years old and elderly correspond to 43.5% of the total hospitalizations. The research also showed that brown, yellow and indigenous are the most affected.
What are the diseases related to inadequate environmental sanitation (DRSAI)?
- Feco-oral transmission diseases such as diarrhea, salmonelosis, cholera, amoebiasis, typhoid fever, hepatitis A;
- Diseases transmitted by vector insect, such as dengue, yellow fever, malaria, sore disease;
- Diseases transmitted through contact with water such as schistosomiasis and leptospirosis;
- Hygiene -related diseases, such as conjunctivitis, dermatophytosis;
- Geohelminths and Tenias such as ascariasis, cysticercosis.
This content was originally published in Universalization of Basic Sanitation would save R $ 50 million per year of health on CNN Brazil.
Source: CNN Brasil
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