Legacy can be defined as the long-lasting impact of particular events, actions, etc. that took place in the past. The first step to creating a legacy is recognizing the present and any problems that need to be solved. Some problems today include world hunger, disease, and decreasing public health. The Mobile County Health Department (MCHD) helps the community stay healthy and safe. Mr. Nikeland Nichols, Ms. Dana Foster, and Ms. Camelle Mixon from the MCHD came to teach us what they do as community health workers. They use their life experiences and advice with community members. As CHWs, they reach out and educate schools, churches, conventions, and communities on public health. Their job is to reduce health inequalities in society. They provide health information, assist individuals with access to the services they need, provide services, offer translation services, and bridge the gap between individuals, communities, and the healthcare and social service system. We also learned about the social determinacy of health. This is the fact that your education, neighborhood, and social context could affect your health. If you can't read, you can't fill out applications to get the social services you need. If your neighborhood doesn't feel safe, you are less likely to spend time outside. Toxic relationships can impact mental health and can lead to depression or eating disorders. CHWs help people get insurance and fill out applications, so they aren't deprived of help. Without the MCHD, society would be falling apart.
Something else that leaves a legacy is lead. It is a dangerous chemical that was created in 1921 by Thomas Midgley, who was just trying to solve the problem of engine malfunctions. He was responsible for poisoning the world with leaded gasoline (tetraethyl) and CFCs. CFCs are greenhouse gases that greatly damage the ozone and speed up climate change. In the 1900s, lead became popular and was used in everything. I began affecting people and became linked to cancer and other medical conditions. It also led to IQ decreasing, less focus and affected brain function. It became banned in the United States in the 1970s-80s. People stopped using it because of all of the trouble it caused, but it was a permanent issue because it was stored in the organs, gums, and teeth where calcium should be. Pregnant and breastfeeding women and children have a high risk of getting lead poisoning. People who work in construction, manufacturing, and mining are at risk of being exposed to it. Lead is long-term. Because it stays stored in the calcium gaps, it can pass on to the next generation. Spreading awareness of lead poisoning will stop people from being affected by it and will ensure the health of our posterity.
Both the legacies of public healthcare and ending the spread of lead can impact the world for the better. If more countries provide public healthcare, less disease will be spread, there will be less starvation, and maybe even peace. Less lead may cause a decrease in cancers and diseases. All we have to do is begin changing the world, little by little. It doesn't have to be something big. Just remember, it all starts with the present.
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