Geographical distribution of Medical Sciences

Introduction

Medical geography is a “new” field of health study that deals with the spatial elements of healthcare and health. It is a mix of geography and medicine. Medical geography is the study of how location and climate affect health. Its goal is to understand better the different elements that influence the health of a population and, as a result, people. It’s also known as health geography. 

In Medical geography, we will learn about the variety of illnesses and health concerns that are multidisciplinary. Infectious diseases, Nutrition, spatial diffusion, economic development processes, chronic, violence, disability, substance abuse, philosophies and healthcare systems. So, the allocation of these resources needs geographic elements. So, in this note, we will study the Geographical distribution of Medical Sciences. 

What is the Geographical distribution of Medical Sciences?

Medical Geography

Geographic disease geography or epidemiology is the first branch of medical geography research, and it focuses on the spatial conditions and trends of health and illness outcomes. This field of study differs from epidemiology. It employs geographical concepts and methods, allowing for an ecological view on health that evaluates how interactions between humans and the environment lead to observed health consequences. The second field of research concentrated on the design and delivery of health services, emphasising the spatial organisation of healthcare systems and how this affects care accessibility.

Health Geography

Due to a shift toward a social model of health care rather than a medical model, the study of medical geography has been impacted by the repositioning of medical geography within the subject of social geography. This campaign pushes for a shift in the notion of health and health care from only preventing and treating illness to fostering overall well-being. Some previous illnesses (e.g., mental illness) are only recognised as behaviour disturbances under this model. 

Medical researchers study other types of medicine, sometimes with the assistance of health geographers without medical training. This shift broadens the meaning of care, which is no longer limited to hospitals or doctor’s offices. In addition, the social model prioritises personal encounters in non-traditional medical and healthcare settings and persons as health consumers.

Medical geography is widened to include philosophies such as structuralism, Marxian political economy, social interactionism, feminism, humanism and queer theory due to this alternative methodological approach.

What is the scope of medical geography?

Medical geography is a branch of medical science that uses geographic methods to explain health and disease. According to this field, climate change has an impact on health and the environment. It helps people recognise health concerns and improves their health based on geographical considerations. For example, certain diseases are unique to certain geographical areas, such as the swampy rainforest environment, which has diseases not seen in the savannah environment. Malaria is more common in waterlogged locations than in highland or relatively dry areas which absorb water. According to studies, children who drink water with a high chloride concentration have fewer cavities than children who do not develop in such places.

Another aspect of medicinal geography is the overall state of man’s optimal development on the earth’s surface, which generally serves as a foundation for illness coverage. J. M. May (1950), a prominent figure in medical geography, defined medical geography as “a geography of disease concerned primarily with examining the link between diseases and environmental factors.”

Conclusion

In this chapter, we have understood the concept of Geographical distribution of Medical Sciences. Medical geography and medicine are closely related subjects. Medical geography is concerned with the causes, distribution, prevention, and treatment of diseases and public health issues. On the other hand, other health professions are focused on the health problem of improving human growth and longevity. Medical geography is concerned with all of these things, but it focuses on how they relate to spatial dynamics.

Medical geography’s health and disease issues could impact both plants and animals, but the human population is the primary concern. Suppose an epidemic or sickness spreads to the elements in human livelihood, resulting in the transfer of certain diseases that impact humans. In that case, it is still investigated and formed from other disciplines such as geography and medicine. So, if you are looking for the study material on the Geographical distribution of Medical Sciences, go through the above notes thoroughly.