[The community health technician and alternative in the training of health manpower].

This paper describes the general conditions of the social and economic dynamics of the rural area, with emphasis on the development of the factors that affect health in Mexico, and briefly analyzes the system for the education and training of manpower for health care. The author presents arguments in support of an alternative proposal for the training of the "community health technician" as a professional produced by four years of study following graduation from secondary school, and trained to take measures that contribute to the integral development of the community by acting upon the factors involved in the occurrence of pathological states, and to be the first contact for persons with medical problems. The course of training is described in terms of its ultimate purpose, which is improvement of the health status of a rural community, and of the general objectives in the "community development" and "medical care" areas. The course is administered in 25 modules as follows: four introductory modules to acquaint the student with the requirements for dealing with the areas, 11 modules on community development, eight modules on first-contact medical care, and the last two for practical exercises and community work, in which the student is required to bring all his knowledge to bear on a given community. Lastly, the course content of each semester is described together with the distribution of the theoretical and practical work in each module, and the outlook for its success, which points to the possibility of incorporating this resource into programs for extending coverage to rural areas.