Privação ao saneamento e à saúde no território urbano da Vila Lídia em Santa Maria, RS

Abstract

This research aims to understand the relationship between basic sanitation and the health conditions of the population of a socially deprived territory in Santa Maria, Rio Grande do Sul. Sanitation guided the discussions, from the perspective of health promotion and disease prevention, with the territory as a structuring concept. Sanitation is a crucial issue linked to the maintenance of life. It is a chronic and historical problem in the country, since more than half of the sewage produced still does not receive any type of treatment. This lack of a comprehensive national plan for basic sanitation leaves the population even more exposed to diseases, ranging from the simplest problems, to the worsening of chronic epidemics in the country. This study was carried out in the territory of Vila Lídia, located in the central-west administrative region, an urban area in the municipality of Santa Maria, Rio Grande do Sul. The methodology was elaborated with instruments of quantitative and qualitative approaches, such as collection of secondary data on official platforms (demographic data, sanitation, and health conditions) and survey of primary data through systematic observation techniques and semi-structured interviews. The results indicate that the occupation of Vila Lídia was mostly irregular, constituting over the years a territory of socio-spatial inequalities, with high social deprivation. Sanitation is the consequence of the historical social process, also becoming the cause of adverse situations to life, such as the production of infectious diseases, common in this territory. These results can be used by municipal managers in the development of public policies on sanitation, thus minimizing deprivation of this service and health-related problems.