Assessment of the Impact of COVID on Water and Sanitation Utilities in Latin America and the Caribbean

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nils Janson ◽  
Laura Bulbena
Keyword(s):  
Latin American ◽  
Water Utilities ◽  
Water And Sanitation ◽  
Health Crisis ◽  
Sanitation Services ◽  
Current Health ◽  
Provision Of Services ◽  
The Caribbean ◽  
Adequate Provision ◽  
The Impact

Due to the current health crisis caused by COVID-19, the Water Utilities that provide Water and Sanitation services have seen their financial capacity affected to ensure the adequate provision of services, linked among other factors to reductions in their operating revenues and collections related to the temporary exemption from the payment of water and sanitation services for some users, deferral of bill payments, freezing of tariffs, reduction of the collection rate and prohibition of cutting services, among others. This document provides an assessment of the impact of COVID-19 on finances and operations of some Water Utilities in Latin American and the Caribbean.

scholarly journals 2030 Agenda for Drinking Water, Sanitation and Hygiene in Latin America and the Caribbean: A Look from the Human Rights Perspective

2020 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Human Rights ◽  
Drinking Water ◽  
Latin America ◽  
Latin American ◽  
Water And Sanitation ◽  
Sanitation Services ◽  
2030 Agenda ◽  
Sanitation And Hygiene ◽  
Access To Water ◽  
The Caribbean

This document was inspired by the need to promote comprehensive actions in the management of water and sanitation services with a human rights focus within the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) related to drinking water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) in the countries of Latin America and the Caribbean; in addition, it ratifies the results reported in a PAHO study (2016) on the profound inequalities between urban and rural areas in access to water and sewage services, and the correlation with characteristics such as gender, age, income, education, among others. This report assumed this challenge using a methodology based on the Human Rights to Safe Drinking Water and Sanitation (HRWS) analytical framework. This report seeks to provide the most up-to-date overview of the SDG targets 6.1 and 6.2 situation in Latin America and the Caribbean. Besides outlining the general situation of countries, it presents some elements regarding human rights and the targets 6.1 and 6.2 that have been neglected in the initial monitoring of the 2030 Agenda, above all, the dimensions of inequality and affordability. This report presents four case studies, one per sub-regional block, with a more detailed characterization of the national and subnational situations of Colombia, Brazil, Mexico, and the Dominican Republic. The results of this study show that a significant proportion of the Latin American and Caribbean population still lacks adequate access to water and sanitation services. Only 65% of the population has access to safely managed water services, a percentage lower than that reported worldwide, which is 71%. With regard to safely managed sanitation services, the situation is even more critical, with an access level of 39% worldwide being reported, compared to 22% in our Region.

scholarly journals Dementia Research in the Caribbean Hispanic Islands: Present Findings and Future Trends

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daisy Acosta ◽  
Jorge J. Llibre-Guerra ◽  
Ivonne Z. Jiménez-Velázquez ◽  
Juan J. Llibre-Rodríguez
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Latin America ◽  
Social Issues ◽  
Research Strategies ◽  
Health Crisis ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Regional Strategies ◽  
Demographic Aging ◽  
The Caribbean ◽  
The Impact

During the last decade, the Caribbean Hispanic islands experienced accelerated demographic aging, representing the fastest aging region within Latin America. Age-related non-communicable diseases, including dementia, are now reported at high prevalence. The Caribbean islands share similar genetic ancestry, culture, migration patterns, and risk profiles, providing a unique setting to understand dementia in the Caribbean-Hispanics. This perspective article aimed to describe the impact of dementia in the Caribbean, at a local and regional level and reflect on research strategies to address dementia. We report on 10/66 project findings, described research projects and regional plans for the region. According to our results, the prevalence of dementia in the Caribbean is the highest in Latin America, with 11.7% in Dominican Republic, 11.6% in Puerto Rico, and 10.8% in Cuba. Preliminary data from new waves of the 10/66 study shows increasing numbers of dementia cases. Furthermore, dementia is expected to be one of the most serious medical and social issues confronted by Caribbean health systems. However, there is a scarcity of knowledge, awareness, and health services to deal with this public health crisis. In light of the new evidence, local and regional strategies are underway to better understand dementia trends for the region and develop policies aimed to decrease the impact of dementia. Implementation of our national plans is critical to deal with an aging population with high dementia rates. Current recommendations include emphasizing public health prevention campaigns to address modifiable risk factors and expand support to caregiver and family interventions.

Utility-small water enterprise partnerships: serving informal urban settlements in Africa

Water Policy ◽  
2004 ◽  
Vol 6 (5) ◽  
pp. 443-452 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cyrus Njiru
Keyword(s):  
Water Utilities ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Water Services ◽  
Water And Sanitation ◽  
Sanitation Services ◽  
Small Water ◽  
Urban Settlements ◽  
Quality Water ◽  
Sub Saharan ◽  
Informal Urban Settlements

Sustainable development cannot be realised when a large proportion of people do not have access to improved water services. Indeed, despite concerted international effort and publicity made in the last two decades to increase coverage of improved water and sanitation services, the number of people without improved water and sanitation services continues to increase. Water utilities are not serving a large proportion of the urban population and small water enterprises (SWEs) have moved to fill the gap. This paper looks at the growing urban water problem and outlines the role played by SWEs in providing water services to those un-served or under-served by water utilities. Typical constraints faced by SWEs are outlined and the rationale for developing utility–SWE partnerships for the benefit of water consumers (customers) is provided. Potential opportunities for developing utility-SWE partnerships are discussed. The paper argues that utility-SWE partnerships can enable SWEs to provide affordable good quality water services to customers, while providing benefit to the utility and thus also assisting the utility to meet its mandate. The paper proposes win–win utility-SWEs partnerships aimed at achieving the objectives of utilities and SWEs while improving water services to customers in informal urban settlements of developing countries, with a focus on sub-Saharan Africa.

scholarly journals New Approaches to Monitor Inequalities in Access to Water and Sanitation: The SDGs in Latin America and the Caribbean

Water ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (4) ◽  
pp. 931 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vitor Carvalho Queiroz ◽  
Rodrigo Coelho de Carvalho ◽  
Léo Heller
Keyword(s):  
Human Rights ◽  
Latin America ◽  
Regional Heterogeneity ◽  
Water And Sanitation ◽  
Sanitation Services ◽  
2030 Agenda ◽  
Access To Water ◽  
Assessment And Monitoring ◽  
The Caribbean ◽  
Normative Content

In the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, Targets 6.1 and 6.2 show, in their formulation, some alignment with the normative content of the human rights to water and sanitation (HRWS). However, the principle of equality and non-discrimination, which applies to all human rights, was not clearly incorporated into the indicators adopted to assess and monitor these targets. This paper contributes to bridging this gap by proposing two methodological strategies to address inequalities in analyses of access to water and sanitation services. The first consists in adjusting the indicators of access to these services according to inequality. The second proposes an assessment of intersecting forms of inequality. An application of these methods in Latin America and the Caribbean highlights significant regional heterogeneity and elevated inequality in access to services in the countries of this region. The methods demonstrate their potential in contributing to assessment and monitoring of the SDGs, but outdated or lacking data are obstacles to more in-depth analyses.

scholarly journals Pre-existing conditions in Latin America and factors associated with adverse outcomes of COVID-19: A review

Medwave ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (04) ◽  
pp. e8180-8180
Author(s):  
Teresa Balboa-Castillo ◽  
Omar Andrade-Mayorga ◽  
Gabriel Nasri Marzuca-Nassr ◽  
Gladys Morales Illanes ◽  
Manuel Ortiz ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Health Status ◽  
Social Determinants Of Health ◽  
Latin American ◽  
Social Determinants ◽  
Adverse Outcomes ◽  
Determinants Of Health ◽  
Factors Associated ◽  
The Caribbean ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Latin American And Caribbean

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, produced by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), has spread rapidly throughout the world. Latin American and the Caribbean countries have been harshly affected by the pandemic mainly due to less prepared healthcare systems and fragmented social safety nets. In the region, health status population-based indicators are worse than compared to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. Recent evidence suggests that the progression and severity of COVID-19 are associated with the prior health status of individuals, and studies have shown that the case fatality rate is highly stratified among different populations. This narrative review aims to describe factors associated with adverse outcomes of COVID-19 in the context of social determinants of health in Latin American and Caribbean countries. In this review, we state that genetic and biological factors interact in a sophisticated way with social determinants of health, impacting the rapid spread of COVID-19 in Latin American and Caribbean countries. Behavioral factors, such as physical inactivity, smoking, and unhealthy diets, are related to chronic systemic inflammation. Also, air pollution can prolong inflammation and the hyper-activation of the immune system. Air pollutants could facilitate the spread of the virus. Finally, frailty and comorbidities can be associated with COVID-19 severity through increasing vulnerability to stressors and leading to more severe symptoms of COVID-19 disease, including a higher mortality risk. All these factors contribute to increasing the impact of COVID-19 in Latin American and Caribbean countries. We highlight the relevance of considering social determinants of health in Latin American and the Caribbean countries, not only in controlling the likelihood of getting the disease but also its progression and severity. All these social determinants can guide the design and implementation of tailored interventions promoting healthy lifestyle behaviors, which should lower the spread of the disease, its severity, and lethality.

scholarly journals Notification of occupational diseases in the Republic of Croatia: the impact of COVID-19

SEER ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 23 (1) ◽  
pp. 19-30
Author(s):  
Cvetan Kovač ◽  
Ivana Krišto ◽  
Ana Šijaković
Keyword(s):  
Occupational Health ◽  
Occupational Diseases ◽  
Health And Safety ◽  
Health Crisis ◽  
Current Health ◽  
Special Knowledge ◽  
The Republic ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Interdisciplinary Process ◽  
Administrative Problem

Diagnosis of occupational diseases is an interdisciplinary process that requires special knowledge of medicine and other areas related to health and safety at work. So too is their diagnosis and treatment the responsibility of occupational health specialists. The recognition of occupational diseases in Croatia is regulated by the Law on the List of Occupational Diseases, while diagnosis is carried out according to modern occupational health criteria, which includes determining the clinical picture of the disease and the damage caused by the work process. The current health crisis caused by the pandemic of the new infectious disease COVID-19 points us to several challenges in the field of health and safety at work in the Republic of Croatia, including the administrative problem of reporting and recognising occupational diseases caused by COVID-19. At the beginning of April 2020, an amendment to the Regulation on Infectious Diseases completely removed all administrative barriers to the recognition of occupational diseases caused by COVID-19 infection.

scholarly journals Rapid Climate Adaption Assessment (RCAA) of water supply and sanitation services in two coastal urban poor communities in Accra, Ghana

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 1645-1660 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nikolaus Clemenz ◽  
Richard Boakye ◽  
Alison Parker
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Urban Poor ◽  
Service Providers ◽  
Solid Waste Management ◽  
Management Practice ◽  
Change Scenario ◽  
Water And Sanitation ◽  
Sanitation Services ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Poor Communities

Abstract This study assessed the impact of different hydrological scenarios on existing vulnerabilities of water and sanitation services in Chorkor and Shiabu, two coastal urban poor communities in Accra, Ghana. The hydrological scenarios were developed from the literature on climate change projections. This paper recommends adaptations for community members, service providers, and the municipality based on the impact assessment. Chorkor and Shiabu are vulnerable to an increase in rainfall because of the lack of adequate solid waste management and hydrological sound drains. Shiabu's topography and the indiscriminate sand mining along its beach make it vulnerable to an increase in sea level. Looking beyond Chorkor and Shiabu's community boundaries, the urban water utility which supplies water vendors in both communities may be severely impacted by a decrease in rainfall, which would lead to water scarcity and a shortage in hydroelectricity. Regardless of which climate change scenario emerges, many of the recommended adaptations are good water management practice, for example, increasing the number of household connections and reducing non-revenue water. Putting climate change high on the agenda has the potential to generate additional funding to help address Chorkor and Shiabu's water and sanitation problems, and climate-proof services for the future. However, the study method does not address the governance of these adaptations.

scholarly journals Estimating effects of improved drinking water and sanitation on cholera

2013 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 671-683 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrew J. Leidner ◽  
Naveen C. Adusumilli
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Drinking Water ◽  
Mortality Rates ◽  
Control Mechanisms ◽  
Statistical Relationship ◽  
Water And Sanitation ◽  
Sanitation Services ◽  
Negative Effect ◽  
Adequate Provision ◽  
Related Mortality

Demand for adequate provision of drinking-water and sanitation facilities to promote public health and economic growth is increasing in the rapidly urbanizing countries of the developing world. With a panel of data on Asia and Africa from 1990 to 2008, associations are estimated between the occurrence of cholera outbreaks, the case rates in given outbreaks, the mortality rates associated with cholera and two disease control mechanisms, drinking-water and sanitation services. A statistically significant and negative effect is found between drinking-water services and both cholera case rates as well as cholera-related mortality rates. A relatively weak statistical relationship is found between the occurrence of cholera outbreaks and sanitation services.

scholarly journals Access to Water and Sanitation Services in Brazilian Vulnerable Areas: The Role of Regulation and Recent Institutional Reform

Water ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (6) ◽  
pp. 787 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel Antonio Narzetti ◽  
Rui Cunha Marques
Keyword(s):  
Universal Access ◽  
Institutional Reform ◽  
Public Authorities ◽  
Water And Sanitation ◽  
Middle Income ◽  
Sanitation Services ◽  
Middle Income Countries ◽  
Access To Water ◽  
The Impact

Access to water and sanitation services (WSSs) in low- or middle-income countries is constrained by the poverty and vulnerability conditions of the population. In this context, it is urgent to establish public policies for WSSs that will increase the economic access to these services so that they will be more comprehensive and comprise the entire population, ensuring a balance between social and financial objectives. This paper contributes to a better understanding of the provision of WSSs in vulnerable areas and of the difficulty in achieving universal access using Brazil as a case study. The role of regulation in the provision of WSSs in vulnerable areas and the impact of the recent institutional reform that took place last year in that country is discussed. The different experiences analyzed provide interesting lessons that contribute to the improvement of the Brazilian status quo and that, at the same time, can be good practices that can be applied in other countries. One of the main conclusions of this research is related to the contributions that regulation should provide in the universalization of WSSs, mainly when the provision of these services is ruled by a contract. Furthermore, we observed that public authorities have resigned their role in this scope and that they must be more effective and, particularly, more proactive so that universalization can be achieved.

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