| The purpose of the Basic Rural Sanitation Plan is to provide the Mapuche Indians with suitable drinking water, toilet facilities, and a better method of garbage disposal. This group, who represent about 20 of the total population of the Malleco and Cautin provinces in Chile, have not benefited medically from advances of civilization due mainly to fear and their intrinsic isolationism, reinforced by laws that have kept them in a dormant state. An anthropologist of the University of Chile was successful in interesting the local chieftain in a water pump and water-closet facilities. Several committees were created in different areas under the direction of the anthropologist and the number of installations of water pumps and toilet facilities multiplied rapidly. Although they accepted the water pump quite readily, the Mapuches did not take to the water closet; finally, the National Health Service offered both in an indivisible package. Construction of these facilities is being carried out by teams made up of six individuals and supervised by an inspector; the responsibility for the implementation of the plan rests with a civil contractor. Tables show how the plan has worked in terms of numbers of units installed, equipment in use (supplied by UNICEF), and contributions of the National Health Service. The author describes the immediate health benefits to be derived from the plan and explains how the availability of water has changed the diet of the Mapuche Indians by enabling them to cultivate vegetables. |