Impact of the Guarantee of the Human Right to Water and Sanitation on the Presence of Waterborne Diseases in Households in Hidalgo, Mexico

Abstract

The objective of this article is to assess the effects that compliance with the guarantee of the Human Right to Water and Sanitation has on the presence of waterborne diseases in households in the state of Hidalgo, Mexico. To this end, information from the National Household Income and Expenditure Survey, the National Health and Nutrition Survey, and the National Information System was used, and indicators were constructed using criteria from the United Nations and the World Health Organization that measure them. Subsequently, a binomial logistic model was estimated to determine the relationship between these indicators and some variables related to population groups considered vulnerable to the presence of water-related diseases. The results show that less than ten percent of households meet all the Human Right to Water criteria, while the lack of adequate sanitation, living in rural or urban areas, and the use of groundwater increase the presence of these diseases, threatening quality of life in terms of health. The results suggest the need to implement a differentiated policy for public, private, and/or social water management to address the specific needs of each municipality in the state. Although the findings are generalizable, one of the limitations of the study is that they are not representative of the regions that make up Hidalgo.