By: Abdiel Hernández/Inter-American Division Staff

The Seventh-day Adventist Church in North Mexico, which has spearheaded the “I Want to Live Healthy” initiative across churches, schools and communities in North Mexico and other countries, has signed a memorandum of understanding with the French National Academy of Medicine. The memorandum was signed in March at the headquarters of the French National Academy of Medicine, in Paris, France.

It is the first such collaboration between the Church and the international organization which is dedicated to the advancement of medicine within the public sector. Last year, the church in North Mexico signed a memorandum of understanding with the government of the city of Monterrey to promote a healthy lifestyle in more than 300,000 homes. The Church’s “I Want to Live Healthy” program centers on the Adventist health message, which focuses on the physical, mental and spiritual well-being of the person.

The collaborative understanding is meant to coordinate research efforts to implement sanitary and educational models to improve the health and well-being of the Mexican population, exchange information, and better public health practices and medical attention in North Mexico, Church leaders said.

The Church’s Montemorelos University and Navojoa Adventist University will take part in collaborative efforts to incorporate the spiritual health element in NutriNet, a research project led by the Mexico-French Medical Foundation with the EPODE International Network—a not for profit, non governmental organization that seeks to support childhood obesity-prevention programs across the world, via best practice sharing and capacity building.

“This type of agreement opens the door to the Church’s health message and shows how science supports what God has revealed to His Church.”Church leaders in Mexico are very happy because the memorandum helps the “I Want to Live Healthy” program position itself as a great health-viable project for governments and institutions.

“This type of agreement opens the door to the Church’s health message and shows how science supports what God has revealed to His Church.”

“This type of agreement opens the door to the Church’s health message and shows how science supports what God has revealed to His Church,” said Pastor Arturo King, president of the church in North Mexico and chairman of the “I Want to Live Healthy” Network.

The program is of a particular interest to Dr. Armando Barriguete, president of EPODE in Mexico, who coordinated the memorandum of agreement with the National French Academy of Medicine. Dr. Barriguete said that the difference between the church’s program and others is that the “I Want to Live Healthy” program has the spiritual health element that can carry the program successfully.

The National French Academy of Medicine will serve as scientific adviser in the development of successful models for adolescent, women and NutriNet for the church’s health network.

The memorandum of understanding was signed by French National Academy officials Dr. André Parodi, president, and Dr. Daniel Courturier, secretary; Dr. Armando Barriguete, president of EPODE, Pastor Arturo King, president of the church in North Mexico, Dr. Zeno Charles-Marcel, associate health ministries director for the Adventist world church; Dr. Saúl Hernández, president of Navojoa Adventist University; Dr. Roel Cea, executive director of the “I Want to Live Healthy” network from Montemorelos University and Pastor Juan Caicedo, president of the Church in South Colombia.

The “I Want to Live Healthy” network associates include the following church organizations: Montemorelos University, Navojoa Adventist University, La Carlota Hospital, Alimentos Col-Pac, Montemorelos Editorial, GEMA editors and the South Colombia Union.

Benjamin Garcia contributed to this article