In Brazil, 2.1 million children and adolescents aged zero to 19 live without adequate access to drinking water. The percentage of black children and adolescents without adequate access to water is 4.7%, double that recorded among white people, 2.2%. The data was released on Thursday (21 March 2024), the day before World Water Day.
Among indigenous children and adolescents, this percentage is 11 times higher than that of whites (25%). The 15 states with the highest percentages of children and adolescents without adequate access to water are in the North and Northeast regions.
The data comes from an analysis by Unicef ββ(United Nations Children's Fund) based on the 2022 Demographic Census, from IBGE (Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics).
According to the 2023 School Census, 1.2 million students are enrolled in 7,500 public schools that do not have drinking water. Among them, 184 thousand boys and girls are in 2,700 schools where access to water is non-existent.
According to Unicef, precarious or non-existent access to water can result in problems that harm the development of school-age children and adolescents, leading to the risk of illness, dropping out or falling behind in school and increasing inequalities.
Data from the WHO (World Health Organization) from 2016 show that 20% of deaths of children under 5 years of age, per year, in the world, are caused by diarrhea. A 2022 Oswaldo Cruz Foundation study estimated that indigenous children are 14 times more likely to die from diarrhea, compared to other population groups.
Measurements
Among the measures recommended by Unicef ββto change this scenario are the prioritization of investment in the sector and the expansion and strengthening of access to drinking water services. It also says it is necessary to prioritize the most vulnerable communities in water, sanitation and hygiene programs and policies.
The entity also defends the approval of the PL 5,696 from 2023, which requires the provision of drinking water in educational institutions. The matter is being processed in the Chamber of Deputies in conclusive character. It will be analyzed by the Education, Finance and Taxation and Constitution and Justice and Citizenship committees.
With information from Brazil Agency.
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