Moroto Regional Referral Hospital, in partnership with the Rotary E Club of Naguru, has planted 1,200 fruit trees, including mangoes, avocados, guavas, oranges, and jackfruit, around the hospital compound.
This initiative aims to address malnutrition and protect the environment from climate change.
Dr. Stephen Pande, the hospital’s director, highlighted the rising malnutrition rates among children in the district, currently at 11.3 percent, as a driving force behind the Fruit Tree Initiative. He noted that the region has long suffered from environmental degradation, which negatively impacts the community.
Pande emphasized that fruit trees are a sustainable food source, providing rich nutrients within local ecosystems. Flavia Bwire, President of the Rotary E Club, stated that the trees were planted to save the environment and improve nutrition for those seeking health services at the hospital.
In addition to fruit trees, over 200 timber trees were donated for planting around the municipality, with a commitment to planting over 10,000 trees across the region to enhance forest cover.
Mark Logiel, a health worker at the hospital, stressed the nutritional importance of fruit trees, which provide essential vitamins and minerals like iron, zinc, vitamin A, and calcium. Logiel also mentioned the challenge of blood shortages when managing postpartum mothers.
Rt. Rev. Joseph Abura, Bishop of Karamoja Diocese, pointed out that malnutrition in the region stems from the inability to afford fruits sold in the market and the lack of interest in planting fruit trees at home, despite fertile soil in the area.
Abura appealed to the health ministry to introduce primary health services to grassroots communities and mobile clinics to detect and treat diseases like diabetes and hypertension early. He also raised concerns about drug shortages at the referral hospital, which have eroded public trust.
Justin Tuko, the Moroto Deputy Resident District Commissioner, noted the region’s negative attitudes towards tree planting, citing bush burning and the use of trees by pastoralists as major issues. He called for community awareness campaigns to promote the value of tree planting. Tuko also observed that presidential executive orders have helped reduce tree cutting for charcoal production.
John Lotyang, the Moroto District Natural Resources Officer, urged other stakeholders to join the initiative, emphasizing that protecting the environment is a shared responsibility.
Lotyang praised the hospital management and Rotary Club for their efforts to improve tree cover and boost children’s nutrition. He also urged the government to make electricity affordable to reduce the reliance on charcoal for cooking.