ABSTRACT
The historical analysis of mortality trends and the models of disease causality indicate that although medical progress is essential, it is not enough to achieve the goal of developing healthy communities (1). Political, economic, and cultural determinants are not only the main driving force of epidemics but they also influence, to a great extent, the actions affecting the biological determinant (2). Although it is necessary to identify means to address health determinants other than the biological, it is also important to intervene on the political, economic, and cultural forces that limit the access of individuals and communities to technologies proven to be efficacious. Public health problems such as the tuberculosis (TB) epidemic, for example, do not escape this analysis (3,4).
