[The Institute of Health and Development: Why? For whom?]

Is it valuable to perpetuate the tropical medicine Institutes? The answer is certainly yes, provided they are able to open their curricula, in addition to the classical medical courses, to the cultural and socio-economical dimensions of development, and to drive in this direction their teachings. Their research programs have to reflect such a new special function, and to trend to a partnership with local teams, even if the lack of common background made, at the beginning, scientific dialogue technically difficult. Health and development Institute was set up in 1979 at Paris VI university, and was the result of a long and deep reflexion on the links between both concepts: "health", and "development". The Institute aims at to bring in its contribution to such a new dimension.