The Retrospective Outcomes of Deplorable Drinking Water and Sanitation on Health of Early Immigrants in Slums: A Case of Islamabad

Abstract

Workers migrating to cities often resign to living in slums due to lack of finances. These dwellings pose a serious health problem to its inhabitants due to lack of basic amenities, insanitary living conditions and clean drinking water. The capital city of Islamabad also faces a similar problem. Low income rural residents from surrounding areas of Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa migrate here in hopes of an improved standard of living. This paper measures the health status of immigrants living in slums by collecting data from its inhabitants in Islamabad, with the use of Probit esti mation. Those who live without the availability of clean drinking water, bathrooms with adequate drainage and gar bage clustered around household units report occurrence of sickness whereas respondents whom migrated recently and had been vaccinated tend to have better health. It has also been observed that there is a stark difference amongst the twenty-four slums residencies within the Islamabad area.