So, distance matters in this case and mapping with geographic technologies provided accurate information for use in public health decisions.
Geographic tools provided the information and public health officials can then determine policy that will improve the health of their population. Because VCT is an important part of addressing HIV, if people that live further away are not going to clinics for VCT maybe it’s necessary to increase awareness of VCT in rural areas. Perhaps incentives can be provided to encourage people to attend VCT with transport provided to help them get to the clinics.
Perhaps it’s worth looking at bringing VCT clinics closer to the people in rural villages. Further qualitative research could be done to find out why people further from the clinic are not accessing VCT. They could be asked about their awareness of the service, whether they have the time to attend or what sort of interest they have in their health.
This study demonstrates how geography can integrate with other subjects to help provide answers to twenty first century questions. It also shows how geographic technologies can be employed effectively and how mapping is a valuable exercise for understanding the spatial aspects of a situation. Today’s geographers have much to offer in terms of their perspectives, their skills and their ability to work with other disciplines.
As our world faces increasingly complex issues, we need more geographers ready to address them!
African Obesity: When the ‘disease of affluence’ rages out of control It seems counter-intuitive, but international medical experts fear that millions of Africans may soon be suffering from a new twin threat: malnutrition, and obesity.
Though it may seem paradoxical, it is entirely possible to be simultaneously both overweight and lacking in vital nutrients; even within our own borders, many poor urban neighbourhoods are experiencing the very same condition, caused in the main by reliance upon cheap, nutrient-poor, calorie-dense fast food.
Many in the West would associate Africa with widespread emaciation, but in reality some parts of Africa are in a surprisingly similar condition to much of the developed world. In fact, 75% of black women in South Africa aged18 to 65 are overweight or obese, and between 1992 and 2005, the prevalence of urban overweight/obesity in Africa increased by nearly 35%.
In a mentality perpetuated by charity adverts and other channels of media, we still perceive Africa to be a nation of exceptional thinness. The causes of the brewing storm of obesity are similar to those observed in our own nation; a mixture of environmental, genetic and psycho-social factors combine in a deadly, potent mix.
African Obesity
A classic example of an image used by aid agencies.
By Ms Popinchalk (former NLCS teacher)