Many health and development programs have been initiated for the rural poor in the world, but few have achieved as strong an association with the cultural values of the people as has Dr. Carroll Behrhorst's work in Guatemala. The two major communication thrusts of his health programs are education of the native population, emphasizing self-development and preventive health maintenance, and creation of a network of locally selected and trained natives to treat and educate the people about effective health practices. Dr. Behrhorst believes he can develop a public health plan to aid the rural poor throughout the world and that an ideal program would revolve around seven major reforms: (1) social and economic justice, (2) land tenure for the poor, (3) agricultural product marketing, (4) population control, (5) elimination of malnutrition, (6) health training, and (7) modern curative medicine. Underlying all seven reforms is the premise that people must not be denied the opportunity to develop the full range of their potentials. The environment has shaped the Indians of the Central Highlands of Guatemala; the Indians must learn to use their environment to improve their own health and well-being. (DF)