Water in the city of El Alto, a right that arrives incomplete

In Bolivia cities, statistics reflect a high access to water coverage and a lower coverage of basic sanitation. The phenomenon can be observed in the city of El Alto. A socio-economic analysis conducted in two neighborhoods, with access to water through the public mains, showed, in one of them,that disadvantaged housing and neighborhood conditions are linked to the presence of infections in children under the age of 5.

Thus, successful and overall quantitative results in terms of the fulfilment of economic, social and cultural rights (ESCR) may conceal the real and particular situation of disadvantaged population groups. There is an urgent need for State planning bodies to coordinate their actions in the health and water/sewerage sectors to guarantee the protection of population’s rights and service provision.