1984 and occupational health in developing countries.

The developing countries constitute a large and important sector of the world. Their needs and aspirations require serious consideration by the international scientific community. When considering the countries of the developing world, it must be appreciated that they do not constitute a homogeneous entity but are a disparate group with different cultural backgrounds and at varying stages of economic and industrial development. But in spite of such diversity, it is possible to establish at least two issues of common interest to these nations. The first is in relation to the setting of environmental standards in the workplace. In the setting of such standards cultural, political, social, economic, and administrative factors must be taken into consideration. In some situations, for economic reasons, the standards may have to be less stringent than the prevailing standards in the industrialized world. On the other hand, because of administrative and health reasons, they may have to be more stringent. Finally, the issue of scientific research relevant to developing countries is considered in the paper.