Medical Geology of Africa

Book excerpt: Medical Geology of Africa explores the connection between geological materials, processes and the health of humans and animals. The book fosters an improved understanding of the ways in which the geological environment impacts the geographical distribution of health problems and how they contribute to better diagnoses and therapy. Africa's unique geoenvironmental condition gives added relevance to such studies, underlining the need for geoscience and public health students and practitioners to understand new principles and applications. Chapters in the book provide extended enquiry-based investigations and examples that employ real geochemical datasets, epidemiological records, public health statistics and visualizations. - Provides a summary of current research on Medical Geology of Africa - Identifies gaps in knowledge of the role of the geo-environment in deciphering unknown aetiologies - Assembles the most recent literature on current thematic issues, and prescribes directions of future research