Geographies of Health and Development [Hardcover]

The geographies of health and development is an emerging sub-discipline, tying in with many of the conceptual, theoretical and practical components of other disciplines working in health, health care, economics, and international development. Spatially and theoretically grounded in geography, this collection offers a fresh perspective on the dialectic relationships between health and development. Health problems in a developing context take on much higher rates of prevalence as a result of the varied cultural, structural and economic vulnerabilities of the people they impact. This book begins by exploring some of the circumstances surrounding the distinctive health inequities currently facing many developing countries, including malaria, maternal mortality and HIV/AIDS. This is followed by a discussion of how matters of physical access and human resource issues and, perhaps most importantly, the challenges of financing, together shape the access and utilization of health care. Examining how the environment interacts to influence the health of the people that live there, the next section includes discussion around challenges of food (in)security, and the importance of clean and uncontaminated water for health. Finally, the book explores the influence of globalization on health, specifically within the urban environment, against the backdrop of global health policy.Contents: Preface; Introduction, Isaac Luginaah, Rachel Bezner Kerr and Jenna Dixon. Part I Disparities in Health Outcomes and the Challenges to Health Equity: Malaria risk profiles, treatment seeking practices and disease intervention efforts in poor communities: a case study in Sierra Leone, Florence M. Margai and Jacob B. Minah; The geography of maternal mortality in Nigeria, Joseph R. Oppong and Jane Ebeniro; Sex [work] and [structural] violence: a study of commercial sex workers in Budhwar Peth, Pune, India, Jacqueline P. Hellen and Vandana Wadhwa; Aboriginal health and development: two steps forwardls(