Evaluation of the environmental health indicator in neighborhoods of different economic classes

Abstract

Access to environmental sanitation enables quality of life and human dignity. This study evaluates the association between average monthly income and environmental health through the use of Environmental Health Indicator (EHI) in neighborhoods of different economic classes in the municipality of Patos de Minas-MG. For this, data from the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE), the City Hall and the sanitation company were used to calculate the Indicators of Water Supply, Sanitary Sewage systems, Solid Waste, Urban Drainage, Vector Control and Socioeconomic. Of the eight neighborhoods analyzed, only one presented medium healthiness, while the other low healthiness. The Socioeconomic Indicator was the most decisive for this classification. On the other hand, the nullity for the Urban Drainage Indicator stands out, evidencing the need for priority actions for the implementation of new structures and maintenance of existing ones. We concluded that the access to environmental sanitation diverges among the neighborhoods according to the average income, as opposed to the universalization so desired by all and recommended by the sanitation law.