A new survey [1] says Brazil needs to invest 11 billion reais (EUR 4.2 billion) in basic water and sanitation services every year for 20 years. Now, 53% of the population does not have access to these services. The survey was carried out by the Fundação Getulio Vargas (FGV) - at the request of the Instituto Trata Brasil. The government plans to invest 10bn reais per year, starting in 2008, but only for the next four years.

For people lacking basic water and sanitation, the survey found that:

• 29.7% more work days are lost due to diarrhoeal diseases
• student absenteeism is up to 2% higher
• only 13% have health insurance, compared to 33% of people with basic services
• school failure levels are nearly twice as high
• children learn 30% less.

[1] Trata Brasil: Saneamento e Saúde

Web site: Instituto Trata Brasil

Contact: Marcelo Cortes Neri, FGV, Brazil, marcelo.neri@fgv.br, http://www.fgv.br

Source: BNamericas.com [subscription site], 03 Apr 2008

Tags: monitoring & evaluation, sanitation, water supply, water-related diseases