The great capacity of industrial and agricultural production, the increase of transportation and communication, and the rapid growth of human conglomerations have caused problems and concerns for humanity in terms of health and well-being. In Peru the 1993 census showed that the population was about 22 million people, of whom 70.1% were urban residents, and the fertility rate was 3.5 children per woman. 53.9% of the households lacked at least 1 basic necessity. In 1992 the rate of illiteracy was 15% in rural areas and around 7% in urban areas, and 3.8% of men and 9.7% of women. Chronic malnutrition among households with children in the first grade ran to 48.3%. Sustainable development must be incorporated into global policies of development because by 2020 the world population will surpass 8 billion people and 60% of people live in coastal areas. Governments should implement reproductive health service programs for women to reconcile demographic trends with economic development. Health services should also be considered together with sustainable development and environmental issues. Attention should be focused on primary health care, especially for those in extreme poverty, for the control and treatment of transmissible diseases: respiratory infections, diarrhea, cholera, parasites, typhoid, and malaria. The lack of basic sanitation, crowding, and inadequate housing are the major causes of respiratory disease, tuberculosis, and meningitis. The priorities of sanitation are: mass education, improvement of services, control of contamination of water sources and food supplies, and control of epidemics. The risk groups are children, young adults, women, and indigenous and very poor populations.