Dados is one of the most widely-read social sciences journals in Latin America. Created in 1966, it publishes innovative works, originating from academic research, by Brazilian and foreign authors. Edited by IESP-UERJ, it aims to reconcile scientific rigor and academic excellence with an emphasis on public debate based on the analysis of substantive issues of society and politics.
Dados vol. 32 n. 2 Rio de Janeiro 1989
Abstract
The impact of basic public, urban sanitation policies on the Brazilian standard of living during the 1970's and t980's is analyzed. It is shown how broadened access to water and sewer in the cities of Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo produced useful results which can be measured using public health indicators. ln developing this thesis, the behavior of infant mortality rates during this period is discussed. The paper then proposes (1) to re-interpret common theses on the Brazilian government's structural incapacity to offer social policies which will have an impact on the population's quality of life and (2) that infant mortality rates should be used more cautiously when analyzing the economic, political, and social consequences which "economic crises" may have on the living conditions in some regions oi Brazil. The fundamental thesis is that infant mortality rates do not respond mechanically to variations in general economic indicators, such as the minimum wage, because they are previous to the mediation of sectorial public policies.
Notas para Avaliação de Políticas Sociais: A Tendência da Mortalidade Infantil nas Últimas Décadas
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