Cross-border health as a conceptual approach to health mobility beyond borders: a mapping review

Due to the rise of globalization and the consequent deepening of inequalities in vulnerable populations, border areas are of increasing interest in health studies, as they present worse health indicators than the rest of their territory. This mapping review analyzes the ‘cross-border health’ concept in scientific studies of border areas, as well as its evolution, from its emergence in European literature to the present. A total of 212 works were analyzed, which showed a growing trend in the use of the term in the 21st century, with a large concentration of scientific works in the European Union and, to a lesser extent, in North America, with discussions in the Global South still being incipient. With a predominance of studies from medicine, public health, and multidisciplinary approaches, cross-border health presents itself as a conceptual alternative that attempts to provide a perspective from both sides of the border, with potential of adaptation to the local context. The concept has been incorporated in scientific literature to analyze the dynamics in border areas on topics of global interest, such as cross-border epidemiological surveillance, health situation in cross-border areas, and cross-border cooperation in health, with great potential for better understanding, diagnosis, and analysis of health needs in borders. However, further deepening in inequalities that have historically affected the Global South is needed in order to build a stronger, globally applied conceptual approach.