This lecture introduced us to health geography. Health geography is the application of geographical information, perspectives, and methods to the study of health, disease, and health care. From previous lectures, I learned how geography is a fundamental element in spatial analysis, and it is closely linked to health geography as well.
There are three main themes in health geography categorized by: disease ecology, health care delivery, and environment and health. Disease ecology seeks to study infectious diseases through understanding their spatial patterns and distributions and how social, economic, and political factors play roles in affecting the diseases and how they affect changes towards dealing with them.
Health care delivery examines the social aspect of health geography through analyzing the distribution and spatial patterns of the provision and accessibility of health care to people in need. At the same time, through spatial analysis, it raises social concerns such as inequalities and specifically the health status and accessibility across space.
Lastly, environment and health is similar to the last concept in terms of its social implications. It addresses the impact of environmental policy on the health of communities and bring fourth the problem surrounding environmental justice. For instance, situating racial minorities in hazardous land that would severely affect their health and well being.