IBGE: elderly people are the biggest victims of inadequate sanitation – 04/09/2024 – Daily Life

Elderly people accounted for almost 80% of deaths associated with health problems that can be caused by poor water and sanitation services and lack of hygiene in Brazil. This is what data released this Tuesday (9) by IBGE (Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics) indicates.

According to the agency, of a total of 9,463 deaths attributed to unsafe water sources, unsafe sanitation and lack of hygiene in 2022, a portion of 7,492 (79.2%) involved victims aged 60 or over. Children aged zero to four years (694 or 7.3% of the total) came next.

Health experts point out that the lack of adequate sanitation can cause, for example, diseases transmitted from contaminated water or vectors attracted by open sewage.

The data released this Tuesday by IBGE are part of the publication “Creating Synergies between the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the G20”.

In its work, the institute gathers statistics related to the SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals) of the 2030 Agenda, which include health and well-being. One of the goals is, by 2030, to substantially reduce the number of deaths and illnesses from dangerous chemicals, contamination and pollution of air and soil water.

In the case of deaths associated with water, sanitation and hygiene problems, the data are from the Ministry of Health and population projections from IBGE.

The participation of elderly people in deaths attributed to these causes (79.2%) is greater than the general number of deaths registered in Brazil. In 2022, the country had a total of 1.5 million deaths for different reasons, and people aged 60 and over accounted for 71.5% of these cases, according to another IBGE survey, released in March.

According to the institute’s International Relations manager, Denise Kronemberger, responsible for presenting the data, several factors can explain why the elderly are the main victims of diseases attributed to unsafe water and sanitation sources and lack of hygiene.

A more fragile immune system, the possible existence of chronic diseases, limited access to sanitation services and mobility and self-care restrictions are part of this list, points out the IBGE spokesperson.

The agency also indicated this Tuesday that the mortality rate attributed to unsafe water sources, unsafe sanitation and lack of hygiene in the country fell from 7.2 deaths per 100 thousand inhabitants in 2000 to 4.4 in 2022. The reduction in the indicator was of 38.9%.

The decline over more than two decades also occurred in large regions, despite the data still showing the persistence of inequalities.

In the Northeast, the rate fell from 9.8 deaths per 100 thousand inhabitants in 2000 to 5.5 in 2022. Even with the drop, the region continued to have the highest level in the country.

In the Central-West, the indicator fell from 6.1 deaths per 100 thousand inhabitants in 2000 to 3.7 in 2022, the lowest level in Brazil. Southeast (from 6 to 3.9), South (from 5.7 to 3.9) and North (from 7.7 to 4.8) complete the list.

Difficulty accessing services such as water and sewage is a chronic problem that affects part of the Brazilian population, especially the poorest.

In an attempt to attract private investment to the sector, the basic sanitation framework, sanctioned in 2020 by then president Jair Bolsonaro (PL), established goals for the universalization of services.

In 2022, Brazil still had the equivalent of 49 million inhabitants without adequate sanitation services and 4.8 million people without running water, despite the growth of these services in recent decades, according to data from the Demographic Census released in February by IBGE.