Corra se for capaz: impactos de investimentos em saneamento sobre saúde, usando o tempo das obras como variação exógena

Abstract

This paper analyzes the effects of sanitation investment projects on hospitalization rates in municipalities the Ministry of Cities selected for credit “decontingency”. As these authorizations to borrow were issued in different periods, since the National Secretary of Environmental Sanitation carried out its project selection in rounds, we used this fact to estimate a difference--in-differences model, with a correction for the possible endogeneity in the projects’ execution time. Our results point to important effects of those investments to reduce hospitalization rates. Results are particularly important for infants, but also for children up to 5 years old and the elderly (above 60 years old). As one analyzes the effects by different diseases, the reduction in hospitalization rates is more important for infectious, respiratory diseases and diseases related to inadequate environmental sanitation.