Public Health in Remote Rural Areas in a Time of Pandemic

Dear Colleague,

Public Health in remote and marginal rural areas is a research subject with some tradition in the geographical social sciences. In this time of pandemic, it is a contested and debated issue from various perspectives. 

(1) Lack of services is one of the characteristics of remote rural areas. The concentration of health services in the most populated and better-connected areas contributes to marginalizing the less-accessible remote areas.

(2) Remote rural areas are usually associated with a more natural and better-preserved rural environment, which constitutes a (more) adequate framework of life for their usually scarce populations.

(3) In the current time of the pandemic, remoteness and relative isolation can constitute a relative advantage over other spaces, but also an obstacle to assistance in the event of contagion.

(4) Currently, especially in the Global North, many urban populations can seek a more satisfactory and healthy residential accommodation in rural, even remote areas, reinforcing existing trends. This Special Issue aims to show social research around the world that highlights, in an intricate way, the current debate on the new role of remote rural areas in this period of pandemic.

Dr. Angel Paniagua
Guest Editor

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