For the world as a whole, many of the trends in health are towards improvement, especially in terms of increasing life expectancy and decreasing infant mortality. By the year 2000 we expect some diseases such as poliomyelitis to be eradicated, and others, such as leprosy, measles and iodine deficiency disorders, to have been brought under virtually complete control. For this country, the situation will probably soon be like that of the OECD-countries, with a life expectancy for both men and women of over 75 years, 12% or more of the population in the age group of 65 and over, and 75% of the population living in cities. Once those levels have been reached, however, change becomes much more gradual. In this paper I will mention some of the health benefits we now enjoy as a result of rapid development, as well as some of the new problems we now face. I will then attempt to show how health promotion is a response to this new situation and how it can be used in some particular dimensions of modem life. (omitted)