A resposta do setor de saneamento no Brasil à COVID-19 / La respuesta del sector de saneamiento en Brasil a la COVID-19 / The Brazilian sanitation sectors response to COVID-19

Resumo A essencialidade da água à vida talvez tenha ficado ainda mais evidente com a pandemia da COVID-19. Aos prestadores dos serviços de saneamento foi atribuída a responsabilidade de garantir à população a manutenção do abastecimento de água potável, fornecendo meios para que ela pudesse preservar os hábitos de higiene e controlar a propagação do vírus. No entanto, como se poderia garantir que a prestação do serviço não fosse afetada, seja pelo acometimento dos funcionários, seja pela reduzida capacidade de pagamento dos usuários? Este foi o desafio enfrentado pelos prestadores. Diversas foram as medidas adotadas pela Administração Pública para responder no curto prazo a esse desafio, tais como: restrição ao atendimento presencial nas unidades, isenção tarifária aos usuários da tarifa social e suspensão do corte por inadimplência. Contudo todas estas medidas podem desequilibrar as contas dos prestadores de serviço, deixando-os em uma situação de instabilidade que, a princípio, deverá ser sustentada até o fim da pandemia, quando os processos de reequilíbrio econômico-financeiro serão conduzidos pelos reguladores. Estes são e continuarão sendo os principais atores na minimização dos impactos que incidiram sobre os prestadores e na mediação das negociações futuras. Este artigo traz recomendações aos reguladores sobre como tratar os desequilíbrios causados pela pandemia nos futuros processos. Caberá aos reguladores emitir diretrizes claras com relação ao procedimento a ser adotado pelos prestadores, para que possam pleitear o reequilíbrio de suas contas. Deve-se cogitar neste momento a flexibilização das metas contratuais.

Resumen Talvez, la esencialidad del agua para la vida se ha hecho aún más evidente con la pandemia de COVID-19. Los proveedores de servicios de saneamiento tuvieron la responsabilidad de mantener el suministro de agua potable para proporcionarle a la población los medios para mantener sus hábitos de higiene y controlar la propagación del virus. Pero, ¿cómo podría garantizarse que la prestación del servicio no se vería afectada, sea por la disminución de empleados o la capacidad de pago reducida de los usuarios? Este fue el desafío planteado a los proveedores. La Administración Pública tomó varias medidas para responder rápidamente a este desafío. Las iniciativas más adoptadas fueron la restricción del servicio presencial, la exención de tarifas para los usuarios vulnerables socioeconómicamente y la suspensión del corte por incumplimiento. El hecho es que todas las medidas pueden desequilibrar las cuentas de los proveedores de servicios, dejándolos en una situación de inestabilidad que, en principio, debería mantenerse hasta el final de la pandemia, cuando los reguladores llevarán a cabo los procesos de reequilibrio económico y financiero. Los reguladores son y serán los principales actores para minimizar los impactos en los proveedores y mediar en las negociaciones futuras. Este artículo proporciona recomendaciones a los reguladores sobre cómo abordar los desequilibrios causados por la pandemia en procesos futuros. Competirá a los reguladores emitir pautas claras con respecto al procedimiento que adoptarán los proveedores para que puedan reclamar el reequilibrio de sus cuentas. En este momento, se debe considerar la flexibilización de los objetivos contractuales.

Abstract The COVID-19 pandemic has evidenced the essentiality of water more prominently. Service providers were responsible for maintaining drinking water supply to the population to maintain good hygiene habits and control the spread of the virus. However, the challenge for providers was guaranteeing the service would not be affected, either by employees falling ill or by users unable to pay for the service provision. Public administration adopted several measures to respond in the short term to this challenge. The actions most frequently observed were the restriction of in-person services, payment exemption for vulnerable users, and suspension of procedures against non-payment. The measures may have unbalanced the accounts of the service providers, leaving them in a situation of instability that, in principle, should be sustained until the end of the pandemic, when the regulators will conduct the process to re-establishing the financial balance. The regulators are and will be the main actors in minimizing the impacts on providers and in mediating future negotiations. This article provides recommendations to regulators on how to address the imbalances caused by the pandemic in future processes. Regulators will have to issue clear guidelines regarding the procedures that providers will adopt to rebalance their accounts. Consideration should be given at this time to making contractual targets more flexible.

O controle social em saneamento e em saúde: análise comparativa com base nos marcos legais federais brasileiros / Social control in the sectors of sanitation and health: a comparative analysis based on the Brazilian legal framework

Resumo A comparação entre os marcos legais federais brasileiros das áreas de saúde e de saneamento, sob a perspectiva do controle social, é o fio condutor deste trabalho, tendo em vista o pioneirismo da primeira e sua possível influência sobre a segunda. O esforço comparativo foi realizado a partir de seis critérios analíticos: mecanismos de controle social definidos; caráter conferido ao controle social; responsabilidade, recomendações e apoio para viabilizar o controle social; acesso à informação; controle sobre o uso dos recursos; controle da implementação das deliberações. Avaliaram-se possibilidades de o marco do saneamento se beneficiar das formulações no campo da saúde e lograr produzir práticas mais efetivas de controle social na condução dessa política pública. Os resultados revelam que, mesmo tendo recebido alguma influência da área de saúde, o marco do saneamento é mais restrito e tem menor potencialidade de produzir práticas mais efetivas, uma vez que apresenta: 1) mecanismos mais restritivos por não serem necessariamente deliberativos; 2) ausência de uma política de formação de conselheiros e de educação popular como incentivo e fortalecimento ao controle social; 3) ausência de mecanismos efetivos voltados para a fiscalização do uso dos recursos.

Abstract Comparison between federal Brazilian legal frameworks in the areas of health and sanitation, from the perspective of participation, is the thread of this work, considering the pioneering of health and its possible influence on sanitation. The comparative effort was made from six analytical criteria: defined social control mechanisms; character given to social control; responsibility, recommendations and support to enable social control; access to information; control over the use of resources; control of the implementation of the resolutions. It was evaluated if the sanitation framework have been helped by health formulations and if have achieved produce more effective practices of social control in the conduct of public policy. The results show that, although it has received some influence from the health area, the water and sanitation framework is more restricted and has less potential to produce more effective practices, since it presents: 1) more restrictive mechanisms because they are not necessarily deliberative; 2) lack of a policy of training counselors and popular education to incentive participation; 3) absence of effective mechanisms for monitoring the use of resources.

Desafios do planejamento municipal de saneamento basico em municipios de pequeno porte: a percepcao dos gestores / Challenges of municipal planning for basic sanitation in small size municipalities: the managers' perception

A Lei nº 11.445/2007 estabelece diretrizes para o saneamento básico no Brasil, apresentando, dentre outros direcionamentos, o planejamento como aspecto fundamental da gestão dos serviços. Buscando contribuir para a discussão, o presente trabalho identifica os principais fatores que dificultam esse processo de planejamento em nível municipal, sobretudo em municípios de menor porte, e os aspectos que motivam a elaboração do plano. O trabalho utiliza metodologia qualitativa de coleta e análise de dados, com realização de entrevistas semiestruturadas com gestores de 15 municípios localizados na Zona da Mata de Minas Gerais, e emprega a técnica de Discurso do Sujeito Coletivo para analisar as informações obtidas. As principais dificuldades identificadas são a indisponibilidade de recursos financeiros e a limitação quanto à qualificação profissional e capacidade técnica municipal. No entanto, ao vencer o primeiro obstáculo, a qualificação profissional pode ser parcialmente resolvida mediante realização de capacitação e contratação de profissionais, o que pode igualmente superar as dificuldades metodológicas. Questões como integração de órgãos das áreas que compõem o saneamento, vontade política e outros fatores também foram apontadas como obstáculos ao planejamento. Apesar das dificuldades, a elaboração dos planos é vista com otimismo e significativa motivação, percebendo-se que estes possivelmente não teriam seu desenvolvimento conduzido apenas pela motivação do cumprimento à demanda da legislação e sim pela convicção dos seus reais benefícios.

The Law nº 11.445/2007 establishes guidelines for basic sanitation in Brazil, pointing the planning as a fundamental aspect of services management, among other enforcements. Aiming at contributing to this discussion, this article intends to identify the main factors that challenge the planning process at the municipal level, especially in small size municipalities, and the aspects that motivate the development of the plan. The study uses qualitative methodology to collect and analyze the data, conducting semi-structured interviews with managers of 15 municipalities located in the Zona da Mata of Minas Gerais, and applies the technique of the Collective Subject Discourse as analytical tool. The main difficulties identified are unavailability of financial resources and limitation regarding professional qualifications and municipal expertise. However, after overcoming the first obstacle, the qualification problem can be partially solved by training and contracting professionals, which can also lead to overcoming the methodological difficulties. Issues such as sector integration of areas that encompass the basic sanitation structure, political will and other factors were also identified as barriers to planning. Despite the difficulties, planning is seen with optimism and significant motivation, and one can realize that the fulfilment of the law could not be the main driver for the managers, but strongly their conviction of the real benefits.

Human rights approach to maternal & child health: Has India fared well.

Background & objectives: The objectives of the study were to examine: right to access maternal health; right to access child health; and right to access improved water and sanitation in India. Methods: We used large-scale data sets like District Level Household Survey conducted in 2007-08 and National Family Health Surveys conducted during 1992-93, 1998-99, and 2005-06 to fulfil the objectives. The selection of the indicator variables was guided by the Human Rights’ Framework for Health and Convention of the Rights of the Child- Articles 7, 24 and 27. We used univariate and bivariate analysis along with ratio of access among non-poor to access among poor to fulfil the objectives. Results: Evidence clearly suggested gross violation of human rights starting from the birth of an individual. Even after 60 years of independence, significant proportions of women and children do not have access to basic services like improved drinking water and sanitation. Interpretation & conclusions: There were enormous socio-economic and residence related inequalities in maternal and child health indicators included in the study. These inequalities were mostly to the disadvantage of the poor. The fulfilment of the basic human rights of women and children is likely to pay dividends in many other domains related to overall population and health in India.

Modelling population growth on public water and sanitation facilities using GIS and statistics: A case study of Aboabo, Ghana.

Background: Effect of population increase on public water and sanitation facilities in densely populated area, Aboabo, Kumasi, Ghana. Materials and Methods: Town sheet maps, layout and population census data of Aboabo. GPS for observing spatial locations existing water and sanitation facilities and field verification exercise in the study. GIS for building geodatabase, digitization and Cartographic Visualization. Questionnaires were used to collect non-spatial information on the sanitation facilities and all public facilities. Results: GIS and a Statistical Approach have been respectively used to develop cartographic and mathematical models to analyse, predict and visualize the effect of population increase on public water and sewage facilities in densely populated area. The developed mathematical models correlates with the population at each instance to the required number of water accessible points or standing pipes as well as the number of required public toilet (sewage) facilities. The cartographic and mathematical models provides an efficient and effective means of mitigating diseases associated with water and sanitation; and informs planners and assembly members of the effects of increasing population on public facilities for proper future planning and geospatial decision making; and to ensure proper infrastructural management at the community levels. Conclusions: Effective decision support systems for analysing, predicting and visualizing public water and sewage facilities in densely populated area. Draws the awareness of the government, concerned groups and non-Governmental Organizations (NGO's) to the extreme detrimental effect that the increase in population has, especially on public water and sewage facilities and how it can be managed at the community level.

Surveys on implementation of National Schistosomiasis Control and Prevention Regulation in main schistosome-endemic areas of China / 中国血吸虫病防治杂志

In order to acquire the information on the changes and improvement after the implementation of National Schistosomiasis Control and Prevention Regulation, a survey was performed. The awareness of schistosomiasis and the regulation, stool management and other related contents were carried out in the rural areas of Jiangsu, Anhui, Jiangxi, Hubei, Hunan, Sichuan and Yunan provinces. The results showed 98.9% of the residents knew about schistosomiasis, 89. 8% knew the regulation, 95. 1% supported the management of drinking water and lavatory, 45.3% used tap water as their ordinary drinking water supply, but there were 47.6% still drank well water, 51.1% used water closet and 40.0% used simple toilet. The work on improving water and sanitary conditions in mountain areas was left behind that in lake areas. It is indicated that there is still a lot we must do to promote the propaganda of the regulation.