SANITARY FACILITIES IN THE STATE OF MARANHÃO, BRAZIL

Abstract

SUMMARY: Sanitary sewage consists of a necessary service for quality of life and promotion of public health. In Brazil, the index of households with adequate sanitary facilities is still low and irrelevant in relation to the demand in the country. This study study aimed to evaluate the amount of sanitary facilities in the households of the State of Maranhão. For this, we used data from the census of the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics and from the Municipal Health Department, collected in 2000 and 2010. The analysis of data was performed by means of descriptive statistics and the generation of an isoline map using the Surfer 11 program. The results showed that in 2000, only 9 countieshad more than 20,000 sanitary facilities. In 2010, this number increased to 12 municipalities. The data had lognormal distribution and high coefficient of variation. The state capital, São Luís, had a greater number of facilities and water supply. This stems from the greater contingent and distribution of GDP per capita. The countiesof Nova Colinas and São Pedro dos Crentes had the lowest numbers of sanitary facilities. Sanitary sewage allows the adequate dispose of fecal waste and improves the quality of life of the population.