Vital mobilities: Integrating healthcare, climate change, and mobilities

Abstract

Deepening the theorisation of the relationship between bodies and climate change, we introduce vital mobilities – external societal circulations that enable critical internal bodily circulations. Vital mobilities addresses a need for theories and methods to mitigate healthcare disruption, decarbonise health services, and support well-being. First, informed by mobilities literature, we develop a method to conceptualise and intervene in specific vital mobilities. Second, we demonstrate its analytical potential via two illustrative cases, asthma inhalers and malaria vaccines. Finally, we suggest future research agendas emanating from geography's integrative disciplinary atmosphere: surfacing circulations, documenting coagulations, sharing adaptations, envisioning futures, and conceptualising beyond vital mobilities.