La Rinconada: public health risks in the artisananal mining village in Puno, Perú

Abstract

Rinconada is an artisanal mining village located at 5200 meters above sea level localized in Puno, southern Peru. In this place live about 35 000 people, where 83.3% are engaged in mining and other commercial activities for their survival and development in the area. To characterize the public health risks of these communities used the systems approach, in-depth interviews and focus groups with a population of 260 families. The population says that they don’t has basic services, and the water that they use, comes mostly (89%) from the Cumuni lake and the rest from thawing Riticucho glacial and in all cases without sanitation. They don’t have drainage services there and only there are 50 latrines or septic tanks throughout the town. Solid waste production is 0.54 kg/day/capita, only collects 10%, the rest is accumulated in the whole village. Overcrowding occurs in 78% of cases, most homes are been of calamine less than 10 m2 . The health center has eight servers that are insufficient to care. Participation and citizen oversight is not concern of its residents. Interventions are required to prevent damage to health that affects risk.