Article
Using wastewater to overcome health disparities among rural residents
Geoforum
(2023)
Abstract
The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic highlighted the need for novel tools to promote health equity. There has been a historical legacy around the location and allocation of public facilities (such as health care) focused on efficiency, which is not attainable in rural, low-density, United States areas. Differences in the spread of the disease and outcomes of infections have been observed between urban and rural populations throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. The purpose of this article was to review rural health disparities related to the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic while using evidence to support wastewater surveillance as a potentially innovative tool to address these disparities more widely. The successful implementation of wastewater surveillance in resource-limited settings in South Africa demonstrates the ability to monitor disease in underserved areas. A better surveillance model of disease detection among rural residents will overcome issues around the interactions of a disease and social determinants of health. Wastewater surveillance can be used to promote health equity, particularly in rural and resource-limited areas, and has the potential to identify future global outbreaks of endemic and pandemic viruses.
Keywords
- Africa,
- Disease surveillance,
- Health disparities,
- SARS-CoV-2,
- Vulnerable communities,
- Wastewater surveillance
Disciplines
Publication Date
August, 2023
DOI
10.1016/j.geoforum.2023.103816
Citation Information
Rochelle Holm, Gina Pocock, Marie A. Severson, Victor C. Huber, et al.. "Using wastewater to overcome health disparities among rural residents" Geoforum Vol. 144 (2023) Available at: http://works.bepress.com/rochelle-holm/69/