Brazil pushes sanitation expansion to boost health and regional development

Brazil faces a major sanitation deficit, with over 32 million people lacking access to safe drinking water and more than 90 million without sewage collection or treatment. The shortfall contributes to water‑borne diseases, high hospitalisation rates—344 000 cases in 2024—and hampers education and economic productivity.

The Institute Aegea’s “Saneamento Salva” platform has organized a series of meetings across states including Amazonas, Pará, Rio de Janeiro, Rio Grande do Sul, Piauí, Rondônia and Espírito Santo. Medical expert Drauzio Varella highlighted that improved sanitation reduces infant mortality and gastrointestinal infections, noting that benefits appear even after initial investments.

Separately, the Instituto Trata Brasil, together with EX ANTE Consultoria, released a study on the economic gains of expanding water and sewer services in Mato Grosso do Sul. The state, already at 81 % coverage, could see billions of reais in net benefits between 2025 and 2040 through higher labor productivity, boosted tourism, environmental preservation of the Pantanal, reduced health‑care costs and increased availability of treated water. The project is backed by the state government, Sanesul and Aegea’s regional operators Águas Guariroba and Ambiental MS Pantanal.