By Joseph Omagor & Job Ronny Okot
The Minister of State for Economic Monitoring, Ms Beatrice Akello Akori, has called for compulsory installation of health educators in each sub-county across Acholi sub-region.
This, she says, will help to overcome the challenges caused by malnutrition.
Akori, who was speaking after opening the Love + One Nutrition Centre in Gulu, said people need to be taught how to cook a balanced and healthy diet.
"We need more teaching, more training to our people especially health workers also setting in place health educators in sub-counties to educate people our people on their nutrition and diet," she said.
The minister said the government should enforce all health facilities to have demonstration farms with crops that each homestead must grow in order to have a balanced diet.
She acknowledged the government efforts being put in place to ensure a healthy and wealthy population.
However, the country director of Love + One, Ms Jennifer Oketa, warned that a malnourished population is not productive.
"Children are not able to get enough food for their bodies to function well thus a risk of creating other complications that prevent a child from thriving in their life's journey," she said.
Ms Suzan Mayervick, the founder of the nutrition centre, reflected on how she was inspired by her adopted child Josephine.
"Fifteen years ago, my husband and me travelled here to adopt a little girl, Josephine, when we arrived she was very sick, with malaria, malnutrition and was also HIV-positive but in nine months, she got vibrant and healthy," she said.
After she has noticed the suffering that other families in Acholi sub region went through die to malnutrition and poverty.
Advocacy for health educators in Acholi to address malnutrition and promote healthy education underscores the importance of a nutritious and balanced diet.