The establishment of a nickel mine has greatly affected the lives of the inhabitants of a formerly remote rural community in Indonesia. The article examines some of the health consequences of the project for the local people. In particular, it discusses problems of water and sanitation in the mining town, the nutritional consequences of changing social relations with capitalist development, and problems in the delivery of health care. The conflicts generated by these issues indicate some of the shortcomings of a national development strategy which relies heavily on private foreign investment.
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