This book gives an in-depth introduction to Medical and Health Geography. The awareness that certain diseases may have connections with the geographical environment, may be traced back to an ancient period in human history. A record of such awareness comes down to us from Hippocrates who lived in 5th B.C,who wrote his treatise- Airs, Waters and Places.
It is evident from the above book(treatise) that Hippocrates believed in the natural healing process of rest, a good diet, fresh air and or cleanliness. Contemporary physicians too value the significance of Hippocrates airs, waters and places (Helwig, 1988).The medical geography as a research field was clearly laid in the mid-1800s by Dr. John Snow, who analyzed the spatial distribution of cholera cases in London, Snow found an unusual cluster of deaths around a single water pump. When the pump was shut down, the cases of cholera dropped drastically.(Rogers,2013) One finds similar allusions to medical geography in ancient Indian and Chinese literature as well. Ancient Indian Scholars of Ayurvedic medicine like Susruta (1500-1000 B.C.), Charak (100 B.C.), Bhel (700 A.D.) and others have described the regional patterns of various diseases. Charak Samhita a treatise on Indian medicine was translated from Sanskrit into Arabic in the beginning of eight century, and its name Sharaka Indianus occurs in the Latin translation of Avicenna’s Razes.
It may also be noted that Medical geography was being widely practiced particularly by physicians before Louis Pasteur propounded his Germ Theory, but important contributions were also made by geographers, and by those physicians who were greatly encouraged by geographers like Alexander von Humboldt whose research focuses on spatial geographical elements.

Rais Akhtar is formerly Professor of Geography,and Dean,University of Kashmir,Srinagar, National Fellow (ICSSR)and Emeritus Scientist(CSIR),CSRD,Jawaharlal Nehru University,New Delhi,and Visiting Professor Dept. of Geology,AMU,Aligarh. He  has taught at the Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi,University of Zambia, Lusaka and The University of Kashmir, Srinagar. He is recipient of  a number of international fellowships including Leverhulme Fellowship ( University of Liverpool) ,Henry Chapman Fellowship (University of London),and Visiting Fellowship,(University of Sussex),Royal Society Fellowship, University of Oxford and ,Visiting Professorship, University of Paris-10. Prof.Akhtar was elected Fellow of Royal Geographical Society, London and Royal Academy of Overseas Sciences, Brussels. Prof.Akhtar delivered invited lectures in about 55 universities, geography departments  and medical colleges including London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Departments. of Geography, Universities of Edinburgh, Leicester, Strathclyde ,(Glasgow), and Liverpool, Institute of Geography,National University,Mexico City,University of Hawaii ,Honolulu, and University of Akron,University of Kent, and School of Public Health , Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Bologna Hospital, Institute of Health, Universities of Perugia and Camerino, Institute of Public Health, Pisa, and the Institute of Geography, University of Rome, Italy, and the Dept. of Geography,Free University,Brussels,Belgium.
 
He was Lead Author (1999-2007),on the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) , which is the  joint winner of Nobel Peace Prize for 2007. Prof.Akhtar is the recipient of Nobel Memento. Prof.Akhtar has to his credit 94 research papers and 22 books published from India,United Kingdom, United States  ,Germany and The Netherlands. His  books entitled: Climate Change and Human Health Scenario in South and Southeast Asia, was published in 2016 by Springer, and his  other books include Climate Change and Air Pollution  (with C.Palagiano) published by Springer, and Geographical Aspects of Health and Disease in India (with Andrew Learmonth) published in 2018 by Concept (New Delhi).His other books include: Extreme Weather Events and Human Health, was published by Springer in early 2020, Coronavirus (COVID-19) Outbreaks, Environment and Human Behaviour, and Coronavirus(COVID-19) Outbreaks,Vaccination,Politics and Society,were also published by Springer in 2021 and 2022 respectively. Prof.Akhtar’s  book entitled Climate Change and Human Health Scenarios, was published by Springer in 2023. Prof.Akhtar’s latest book entitled Covid-19:Impacts on Health and Health Systems, is being published by Springer in June 2025.  Prof.Rais Akhtar was Member of the Eight Five Year Plan of Govt.of India,on Health ,Family Welfare, and on Diseases , and he was  also  Member of  Expert Group  on Climate Change and Human Health of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare ,Govt. of India. Prof.Akhtar has been appointed as Corresponding Member of the  Italian Geographical Society,Rome, in October 2018.