[Health consequences of the economic development of tropical countries]

If the usefulness of industrial development of the Third World is not really discussed, nevertheless it appears more and more necessary to evaluate carefully its advantages and disadvantages on the health status and the well being of the population concerned. Indeed, the evil consequences are well known: new outbreak of bilharziosis, malaria, onchocerciasis, but also arbovirosis, tuberculosis and S.T.D. On the other hand, we must consider the positive aspects of economic development: improvement of hygiene, constructions of health centers, increased food production. In order to minimize the drawbacks, some measures have to be taken, f.i.: to set up the sanitary files of the population to be displaced, the organization of the redwelling zones. For all these reasons, the cost evaluation must take into account the sanitary sector, keeping in mind the difficulty to appraise the consequential effects on climate and fauna.