GLOBAL MEDICAL GEOGRAPHY: Essays in Honour of Prof. Yola Verhasselt

Medical geography is an area of geographical research that incorporates geographic techniques into the study of health around the world and studies the impact of climate and location on an individual’s health as well as the distribution of health services. It is an important branch of human geography because it aims to provide an understanding of health problems and improve the health of people worldwide based on the various geographic factors influencing them.

This essential reader in medical geography has a wide ranging and international appeal. This anthology compiled in honour of Prof. Yola Verhasselt also reviews the progress and current state of the subject.

Rais Akhtar is Emeritus Scientist, CSIR (Geography), Centre for the Study of Regional Development, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi. He is the recipient of several prestigious fellowships abroad and has been visiting faculty to a number of geography departments and medical institutes. He was also the Lead Author, Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the joint winner of Nobel Peace Prize for 2007.

His core research interests are environment, health and sustainable development with focus on climate change and health scenario. He has published number of research papers in international journals including “The Lancet, International Journal of Environmental Studies, GeoJournal” and “Social Science & Medicine.” His published books include “Disease Ecology and Health: Readings in Medical Geography” (co-edited with Yola Verhasselt ), “Health” and “Disease in Tropical Africa” and “Health Care Patterns” and “Planning in Developing Countries.”

Nilofar Izhar obtained her postgraduation and Ph.D. from the prestigious Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh. Thereafter she was awarded several fellowships including CSIR Pool Scientist (under Indian Scientists Abroad category), UGC Research Associateship and ICSSR Senior Fellowship. She has contributed more than 30 research papers in national and international journals. She is also the founder of “Region, Health and Health Care, ” the first journal in the field of medical geography in India, and the Academy for the Study of Environment and Social Wellbeing, Aligarh. She has written several monographs on Geography of Traditional Medical Systems, as well as on Women’s Health. Currently she is working on gender issues with focus on women’s health. She has been nominated as Member on the Editorial Board for the “Indian Journal of Preventive and Social Medicine.”