Reducción de costos en salud por obras de agua y alcantarillado en Buenos Aires

OBJECTIVE. To estimate the benefits that would be obtained by reducing the number of diarrhea cases through improved water, sanitation, and hygiene conditions in the study population (25 districts in Buenos Aires). METHODS. The benefits were estimated by calculating the number of disability-adjusted life years saved, which were given a monetary value. On this basis, a probabilistic sensitivity analysis was carried out, considering the uncertainty in 15 variables. We also considered potential underestimation of the health data. RESULTS. The health benefits of improved access to water and sanitation in the area covered amounted to 3.262 billion Argentine pesos (ARS), equivalent to 203.9 million US dollars (USD), with a range between USD 67.5 and 559.5 million, based on the sensitivity analysis. CONCLUSIONS. The calculated benefits (savings in diarrhea-related health costs), adjusted for underestimation in the health data, would cover 35.3% of the investment costs, with around 95% coverage for water and 85% for sanitation. Since this research is limited in scope, the calculated benefits represent a minimum level. Further research could consider cost reductions for other diseases, time savings, and environmental impact.