Towards global health equity: The contributions of health geography to global health research, policy and practice

As part of the tripartite evolution, health geography emerged alongside the population health perspective and a shift from the biomedical notion of health to an increased recognition of the role of socio-ecological factors that shape health and well-being. Owing to these shifts, health geographers have made substantial contributions to global health research in the areas of theoretically informed research, methodological innovation and diversity and evidence-based research translating into health policy and practice. By establishing the reciprocal relationship between place and human health, health geographers have expanded global health scholarship by demonstrating that geography and health are inextricably linked. This review provides a background of recent developments in health geography and demonstrates how health geographers can leverage their expertise by adopting new technologies in the face of emerging global health challenges.