"Because in many areas . .. education is limited an modern facilities which simplify health promotion an maintenance e.g. garbage disposal facilities, sewag sytems, public water treatment, and distributio systems are not available, it is not always easy fo indidivuals to assume responsibility for their ow health. It is the purpose of health education to giv information to the community and individual familie which explains the relationship between persona habits and health/illness and demonstrates accessib] and culturally acceptable methods for alterin lifestyle in order to enhance heaith. It is th purpose of environmental health (and other preventiv health methods) to design and assist individuals t make use of appropriate facilities and practices i order to implement the knowledge given them by healt educators. Likewise, community nutrition programs ar designed to demonstrate and assist people to put thei knowledge into practice." Recently the World Health Organization has set as its tar people of the world would have access to better health care "by the year 2000", and it specified that the method would be through "prinjary health care." In the Marshall Islands, as in many developing countries, {ithe health worker at the "primary" (usually rural) level must integrate bot§ and preventive/promotive" recommended here as well. health care into his practice. “curative This is By combining the Primary Care (curative) clinical services, and the Public Health (preventive) services under one|department this goal will be easier to accomplish. The existing primary care workers in the M.I. at the dispengary/clinic level are generally under-utilized (most see an average of only 345 patients a day). Oue to lack of supervision, education, and material sugport their ability to function as “community/family health" educators has bgen minimal to non-existent. In many developing countries of the world intdgration of the "curative" and "preventive" role in one person jis being utifized. Two factors make this integrated approach logical in the Marshall Is}ands - the generally smal] curative work load and the impossibility of puulic health personnel being able to visit the outlying istands on any regulaw schedule. The following public health components will be approached from this Bh perspective.