华中师范大学教师主页沈雪 Health impact of rural drinking water safety program in China: Implications for life span of rural residents Home

Health impact of rural drinking water safety program in China: Implications for life span of rural residents

Release Time:2026-07-01

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Title of Paper:: Health impact of rural drinking water safety program in China: Implications for life span of rural residents

Key Words:: Health infrastructure;Health impact;Safe drinking water;Sanitation;Rural China

Summary:: Ensuring access to safe and sustainable drinking water remains a critical challenge, particularly in rural regions, where health disparities are most pronounced. While global initiatives such as the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDG 6) prioritize water and sanitation, there remains limited empirical evidence linking rural water safety programs to measurable health outcomes over time. Addressing this gap, this study investigates the health impact of the Rural Drinking Water Safety Program (RDWSP) in China by employing village-level panel data (1995-2017) from the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs. Using mean age at death as a pragmatic and consistently recorded proxy for overall health at the village level, the analysis demonstrates that increased access to safe drinking water significantly raises the mean age at death among rural residents. Furthermore, the study reveals that the health benefits of RDWSP emerge markedly five years post-implementation, with the most substantial effects observed in villages where the pre-program mean age at death was relatively low, reflecting poorer baseline health conditions. These findings highlight the trans-formative role of large-scale infrastructure programs in improving public health and mitigating rural health inequities. Our research underscores the need for sustained investments in health-focused infrastructure to achieve equitable development outcomes.