Geography has long been a tool for public health workers and movements seeking to eliminate health disparities. The most famous example is John Snow's use of mapping to trace a London cholera epidemic to a particular well. More recently, Geographic Information Systems (GIS) have become an important tool for examining health disparities. However, the full potential of research that integrates public health and geography has been unrecognized. Geography is about more than maps. Instead, it offers a range of sophisticated techniques for better understanding why disparities, including health disparities, exist. Drawing on Mayer' work in the political ecology of disease, this paper outlines an analytical framework that helps place the epidemiology of disease into its social and political context. By applying the principles of political economy to disease ecology, the political ecology of disease elucidates the connections between political, social and environmental influences on disease. This approach allows quantitative epidemiological methods to be integrated with political and economic analyses, enabling health researchers and planners to see the "big picture" of disease causation. The paper uses the examples of malaria and iodine deficiency diseases to show the framework's practical application to eliminating health disparities within and between countries. The paper stresses the value of cooperative research between public health professionals and geographers.
Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of the session, participants will be able to:
Keywords: International Public Health, Social Inequalities
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: None
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.