International communication and medical geography

Abstract

Learmonth’s recent communication explaining the termination of the International Geographical Union Commission on Medical Geography marked the end of an era as regards the international communication of medico-geographic research findings, concepts, and potential applications [l]. Founded in 1949 by Jacques May, Maximillien Sorre and Arthur Geddes, the Commission served in such a communications capacity for more than two and one-half decades. International interest within the scienti6c community in medical geography increased gradually within that time period to reach a peak during the mid-1970s. As an outgrowth of the Commission’s elIorts, a journal (Geographica Medico) was attempted; the publication was unfortunately not destined to continue. During the period 19724976, the Newsletter of the IGU Commission on Medical Geography, publishing notes of interest and bibliographies, served as the sole vehicle for international communication in medical geography. While the Commission and the Newsletter have now been terminated, interest in medical geography has continued to grow; and a new era in international communication has been inaugurated with the publication of issues of Social Science and Medicine devoted to medical geography.