Relação entre saneamento básico e incidência de dengue no Brasil: uma revisão da literatura científica

Abstract

Dengue is a major public health issue in Brazil, particularly in urban settings characterized by socio-environmental inequalities and limitations in basic sanitation infrastructure. In this context, the present study aimed to analyze, based on scientific literature, the relationship between dengue incidence and the components of basic sanitation. This is a descriptive literature review with a qualitative and comparative approach, based on articles published between 2020 and 2026, selected from the Google Scholar, PubMed, and SciELO databases using descriptors combined with Boolean operators. The search identified 146 articles, of which only 9 were selected and organized according to the four pillars of basic sanitation established by Law No. 14,026/2020: drinking water supply, sanitary sewage, urban cleaning and solid waste management, and urban stormwater drainage and management. The results showed that drinking water supply was the most frequently investigated component in the analyzed studies, followed by sanitary sewage and urban cleaning and solid waste management, while urban stormwater drainage and management were less frequently addressed in the scientific literature. The analysis of the publications demonstrated that irregular water supply favors inadequate household water storage, contributing to the formation of Aedes aegypti breeding sites. Furthermore, improper solid waste disposal and deficiencies in sanitation infrastructure increase socio-environmental vulnerability and promote vector proliferation. Structural factors such as unplanned urbanization, high population density, social inequality, and precarious housing conditions were also found to intensify the impacts of inadequate sanitation services on dengue incidence. It is concluded that tackling the disease requires intersectoral public policies aimed at expanding, qualifying, and integrating basic sanitation services, combined with epidemiological surveillance, urban planning, and health education initiatives, as essential strategies to reduce socio-environmental vulnerability and control dengue.