Infections and Inequalities
What distinguishes human beings from one another is uniqueness. It is a common knowledge that every one of us is unique. Furthermore, groups of people are also different from one another. Cultures and nations differ in terms of their perception of religion, health, family, and many other aspects. Geographical doctrine is inseparable when looking closer to the differences between peoples and nations, and their distinguishing factors. As Paul Farmer noted in his book Infections and inequalities: the modern plagues, “inequality itself constitutes our modern plague” (Farmer, 2001). Thus, due to the global and local social, economic and cultural differences, the rate of disease occurrences and overall health level changes.  
Paul Farmer notes in his book that not only the environment of the group (or individual) affects its (or his/her) health, but the economic surrounding and cultural aspects as well. People who live in more developed countries are usually wealthier on average than those who live in third world countries. Because of this wealth, these first groups of people are naturally more protected from epidemics and diseases than those second groups. The first wealthier groups typically receive a great deal of natural protection from meals they eat. These foods usually comprise different vitamins and other substances, which naturally increase and build up their immune system. In addition, the wealthier groups are generally more civilized, which means that they would not engage in various rituals and customs. Although the wealthier groups might have traditions, they are typically associated with religion or national history. Also, last but not least, the sanitary conditions of these groups are much better. This is one of the most important factors, because cleaner places mean smaller threat of catching an infection or disease. 
The poorer groups, on the other hand, are more prone to infections, epidemics, and diseases for several obvious reasons. First, they receive smaller amounts of vitamins and other important elements stored in foods. Secondly, groups occupying lower social niche live in poorer sanitary conditions. As opposed to crystal clear environment of wealthier groups, lower economic conditions stipulate the spreading of germs and bacilli, and thus cause more frequent bouts of diseases. Thirdly, poorer communities may practice some special rituals and customs. Paul Farmer mentioned the Haitians, and the influence of their culture and way of life on the occurrences of AIDS and tuberculosis. He argued that their exotic way of life and practice of voodoo were the main reasons for the epidemics. This is only one example, however, illustrating how pageant practices, and various rituals can boost epidemics and infections. 
Interestingly, cultural and economic factors of peoples from adjacent regions have a significant impact on health of the group as well. These regional influences occur because of the interregional economic relations, which are inevitable even in the most wild and savage places. These economic interactions, in turn, are accompanied with social interactions, which unite the two or more groups into a relatively homogeneous group from the view point of epidemic diseases. 
Farmer noted in his book that the geographical allocation of peoples directly influences such diseases as tuberculosis and AIDS. What is more interesting, he argued that social and economic inequalities “have powerfully sculpted not only the distribution of infectious diseases but also the course of health outcomes among the afflicted” (Farmer, 2001). This way, the environment in which the group is located (including only natural resources) has an influence on health as well. The natural resources like water, soil, plants, and air have all influence on what substance we get from them. And these substances, in turn, may impact our immune system, or protect from separate disease or virus. Therefore, because of the omnipresent inequalities, two groups of people might experience one and the same disease differently. Thus, geographical regions and natural resources also have a significant impact on the distribution of infectious diseases, as well as their courses, and health outcomes. 
Although geography is not very much covered in infections and inequalities, still it provides much relevant concepts that have much in common with medical geography. Paul Farmer addresses more profoundly such areas as anthropology and infectious diseases. With the help of the book, I have understood certain geographical concepts that are linked with medicine, biology, botanic, anthropology, and the spreading of infectious diseases. Ultimately, natural resources and social factors have a tremendous impact on the way people experience a disease if they catch it, and on the probability of catching this disease in the first place. 
Bibliography
1.	Farmer, P. Infections and inequalities: the modern plagues. University of California Press. 2001.