A pilot study on 250 foreign workers was undertaken during a 7-month period beginning December 1996. The sample of subjects mainly males (88.8%) was selected on a non-probability basis from two sources i.e. from University of Malaya (72.8%) and PEREMBA group (27.2%). The study was a clinic-based and a face-to-face interview was carried out to elicit information on social, demographic, environmental, medical and recent illness using a structured questionnaire. Physical examinations were also performed on the same day of the interview. Subjects were also required to give their stool, venous blood, and urine specimens for microbiological, parasitological and clinical laboratory investigations. Chest X-Rays was done on ail subjects. The other investigators had already reported findings on the various specific areas of the study. In this part of the report attempt was made to relate the infectious diseases to some of the socio-environtnental variables on the 112 Indonesian, 133 Bangladeshi workers. Some aspects of health seeking behaviour of these foreign workers were also presented. Most of the Indonesian workers (84%) were from Jawa Timua and Jambi, Sumatra, while majority of the Bangladeshis (67.7%) were from two neighboring administrative districts of Dhaka and Chittagong. Majorities of the Indonesians (50.0%) were working in service industry, while 53.5% Bangladeshis were in the manufacturing. One-fifth of the workers lived in squatter areas, and nearly half of them were working for the service industry. About 70% of the workers had at least one infection. The proportion was slightly higher among the Indonesians (72.3%) compared to the Bangladeshis (67.7%). It is of interest to point out that 40.0% had multiple infections. Thirteen had five or more infections (details for the two of the 13 cases are presented as case studies). However, the findings did not indicate any association between sanitation and infections. Risk for transmission was developed based on the number of infections in the person. The Indonesian workers carried a higher risk of transmitting the diseases (33.9%) compared to 19.5% among the Bangladeshi workers. Those working in the construction industry were at a higher risk of transmitting the diseases compared to other industries. Slightly more than half of the workers experienced some form of minor illness or injury during the two-week period preceding the interview. Majority sought private care (43.1%), while 42.3% either self-medicate or did nothing al all. Nearly two-thirds paid out of their own pocket. Among the employers, construction sector made negligible contribution (2.9%) to the payment. It is interesting to find that 41.0% of the workers took some form of health suppletnents, and majority (48.4%) got it from the phartnacy or traditional sources. Nearly all (88.5%) paid on their own for the health supplements. The findings from this pilot project need to be interpreted with solne caution. However, it appears that the foreign workers carry sizeable anlount of health problems. If these are not addressed quickly it may eudanger the health of a nation, while we readily acknowledge their contribution towards our national development.