Communication disorders and global health? Speech therapy and international languages? Nutrition and food insecurity? Who possess expertise surrounding such intriguing connections? Jackie Zeigler, pictured second row and second from the left, is a speech-language pathologist whom I met this month the INMED Courses hosted by Adventist Health Glendale, CA. Jackie describes her expansive mission: “My husband and I lead MPACT For Mankind – an NGO providing healthcare to under-served communities in Haiti and Africa. MPACT helps communities support good health through clean water, proper nutrition, and health literacy.
“One of the greatest obstacles to progress in global health,” explains Jackie, “is the lack of solidarity to ensure that everyone has access to basic resources needed to achieve good health.” Such conviction is one reason why MPACT provides more than traditional speech therapy. Jackie continues, “Food insecurity puts many people at risk of malnutrition. Yet access to food alone is also insufficient. Food that is poor, processed, and nutrient-deficient is linked with a host of chronic disease. Combating these dietary maladies is at the core of creating healthy communities, and at the heart of my professional passion.”