The component of health and the environment works in coordination with the other LINCOS components, in order to offer a strategy to constructively transform the reality of the communities involved.

Its objective is to promote healthy environments and communities thanks to the synergetic cooperation of the local health systems and community participation. In order to make this a reality, the technological transfer is used as a tool to maximize the community potentials.

This component has two basic elements:

• The health monitor
  
• The technological platform to promote health education

The health monitor is a non-traditional health promoter, who uses a number of available information and communication technologies to perform his/her functions more efficiently. The person in charge of the community health center can also be the health monitor. He/she is trained in the use of all these technologies; but most importantly, his/her function is to encourage promotion and prevention, using the educational methodologies in a creative way. This person visits the community members with the purpose of promptly identifying community risks and damages. With an outline of the situation in hand he/she makes a diagnosis and analysis of the situation; and then he/she strategically uses all the available variables.

The Health Monitor helps implement plans, formulate new projects, and coordinate inter-institutional actions. He/she also monitors the epidemiological situation, and designs and executes health prevention campaigns in the community.

His/her formation includes skills to:

• Understand the essential concepts of Public Health and apply them to specific daily situations.
   
• Coordinate processes of community and social participation, situation analysis and search of creative alternatives to solve health and environmental problems.
   
• Efficiently use the technological tools sponsored by LINCOS to facilitate the promotion of health, prevention of illnesses and protection of the environment.
   
• Become a multiplier of knowledge in the area of health, and a facilitator of processes oriented to transform reality.
   
• Continue his/her training process through the Internet.

The technological platform includes the equipment installed at the LINCOS Units, and just as importantly, the corresponding training to make the best use of it. This platform is made available to the community and to the local health services, in order to expand social participation.

The technological platform includes the following equipment:

• Sound systems
• Television
• VHS, CD, DVD, and cassettes
• Audio-visual material on different topics including health, agriculture, astronomy, adult and child education, among others
• Environmental analysis equipment
• Internet access
• Telemedicine equipment
• FM radio station
• Access to the LINCOS-Infocomm Community Portal