[Rebecca Mayo]

Food Security:
Food insecurity, food deserts, and malnourishment are substantial issues that affect much of the world. With the question of “where is my next meal coming from,” looming over so many, it is no wonder that the plight of poverty is all encompassing. Nutrition is one of the most essential elements to preventive healthcare. With proper diet, many disease states can be avoided such as diabetes, obesity, and cardiovascular disease which are leading causes of morbidity and mortality. That is why it is so crucial for nations to unite and find solutions for global food insecurity collectively. I believe that a united effort into research for more environmentally friendly agricultural methods such as hydroponic farming, as well as legislation protecting the environment is a step in the right direction. With increased yield of crops from sustainable farming, wealthier nations will be able to share with and teach those who are more disadvantaged. Improving the way we farm, while preserving our planet, will ensure that the effects last for generations. Another important aspect of improving food security, is educating the masses on proper nutrition at all levels. This starts with education in our school systems of what a balanced and nutritious diet looks like, and teaching students how to cook those meals. Another level of education can be to the general public with healthy food marketing campaigns through multiple platforms. And finally, physicians need to be more thoroughly educated on proper nutrition, so that we can educate our patients on how to better their overall health with their diets. If the COVID pandemic has taught us anything, it has shown us that with global efforts directed towards one goal, we can accomplish anything quickly.

Measles:
While progress has been made towards measles eradication, it has largely stagnated over the last several years, and in some instances reversed. Nigeria, India, Pakistan, Indonesia, Ethiopia, and Angola are countries with some of the lowest vaccination rates for infants and are largely impoverished nations. Some of the most substantial barriers to eradicating measles are lack of funding, lack of commitment, lack of education, and lack of distribution. MMR vaccinations can be costly, and with countries who are war-torn, facing epidemics and pandemics, famine, etc., it is difficult to place preventive healthcare at the forefront of their issues to be resolved immediately. It is also difficult to distribute vaccines when reporting systems have rampant inaccuracies, and it is dangerous for healthcare workers to get to the places that require vaccination. This requires renewed commitment from nations who are more stable and have more resources to lead the world in measles eradication legislation, research, improving system reporting, education, and distribution. Pooling resources and ensuring decreased morbidity and mortality from a disease that can be prevented needs to be a top priority. Another barrier to measles eradication, largely in affluent countries, is the anti-vaccination movement. Continued educational campaigns on the importance of disease prevention and the safety and efficacy of vaccines are excruciatingly important. Measles eradication barriers cannot be overcome without a joint global effort.

[Rebecca Mayo]

Hello everyone!

My name is Rebecca Mayo and I am currently a second year medical student at ATSU-KCOM in Kirksville, MO. I served in a mission trip with my church in Arkansas after college. We mostly helped to clean up the community where we stayed, and did construction work. That is where I first discovered my love for serving the underserved. During my undergraduate tenure at Baylor University, I went on a medical mission trip to two remote villages in Guatemala. I helped take vitals, do eye exams, give out medications, and shadowed physicians while I was there. That is when I knew I wanted to incorporate medical missions and serving the less fortunate into my future practice. After graduating from undergrad, I received my master’s from UNTHSC in Medical Sciences and then became a scribe at the emergency department at Parkland Hospital in Dallas. For two years I worked at this large county hospital that is also a level 1 trauma center. Most of our patient population included homeless people, the uninsured, immigrants, and other underserved populations. I am interested in pursuing emergency medicine and serving in a county hospital in order to reach these same populations of patients. I think it is extremely important to serve the disadvantaged domestically and abroad. I want to incorporate international missions into my practice as well with at least a yearly trip, but hopefully more than that. I am excited about this course, and cannot wait to learn more about how to better serve my future patients.

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