RESEARCH NEED AND FUTURE DIRECTIONS IN MEDICAL GEOLOGY

Many popular college textbooks in environmental geology include discussions on medical geology and present research results to bring out the relationship between the health and well being of a population and its geologic environment. With a few exceptions, most of the research results date back to the 1970s and even the latest editions of these textbooks have not updated the information, nor have included new findings in the field. The presentation discusses these shortcomings and emphasizes the need for revision of dated materials along with addition of new research results. The fast emerging field of medical geology is finding new applications all the time. It is not uncommon to find new links, such as writings by medical experts on the implications of global warming on health care profession; spread of epidemics in tropical climates associated with El Niño, and use of GIS for tracking vector-borne diseases, such as the Rift Valley fever in Africa and the West Nile virus in the United States. With a wider acceptance of the importance of geological information and the use of earth science technology in the health care field, it is imperative that earth scientists actively participate in collaborative research across various disciplines. This will ensure that science provides the basic information that will help set national and global health care polices with the ultimate goal of minimizing disease and sickness and maximizing health and safety of human beings.