The West African Society of Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition (WASPEN) has sounded the alarm on hospital malnutrition, describing it as a silent killer that requires urgent policy attention.
The group urged governments in Nigeria and across West Africa to integrate clinical nutrition care into mainstream health strategies.
Delivering a keynote address at a webinar to mark the second edition of Malnutrition Awareness Week, WASPEN President and Founder, Dr. Teresa Isichei Pounds, underscored the global theme, “United Against Malnutrition,” championed by the American Society of Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition (ASPEN).
“Malnutrition is not only a challenge for one nation, one hospital, or one organization. It is a shared responsibility,” she stressed. “Around the world, one in three patients admitted to the hospital is malnourished, yet this condition remains underprioritized in health agendas.”
Dr. Pounds noted that Nigeria faces a double burden: widespread community malnutrition and the often-overlooked crisis of hospital malnutrition. She revealed that over 30% of Nigerian children are stunted and about 7% are wasted, while hospitalized patients remain particularly vulnerable.
She warned that untreated hospital malnutrition leads to prolonged recovery times, higher treatment costs, increased complications, and preventable deaths.
“Malnutrition in the community and malnutrition in hospitals are two sides of the same coin. Progress on one without the other leaves the circle incomplete,” she concluded.
WASPEN is currently collaborating with Nigerian institutions to collect updated national data on hospital malnutrition prevalence.
The evidence, Dr. Pounds said, will guide advocacy for hospital nutrition to be adopted as part of a structured national health strategy.
“Nutrition is a human right, not a privilege for the few. It is the foundation of health, dignity, and recovery for all,” she declared.
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Last year, seven institutions across Nigeria participated in Malnutrition Awareness Week. This year, participation has more than doubled to 17, with institutions in Ghana, Cameroon, and Uganda also joining the campaign, signaling West Africa’s growing commitment to the global fight.
International partners, including Dr. Phil Ayers, past president of ASPEN, and Dr. Albert Barocas, a U.S.-based physician and ASPEN board member, also joined the week’s activities, highlighting the strength of WASPEN’s global partnerships.
The 2025 Malnutrition Awareness Week, which kicked off with a news conference, set the stage for a series of activities designed to spotlight the urgent issue of malnutrition, particularly in hospitals.
Among the highlights are webinars aimed at equipping clinicians with tools to detect and manage malnutrition effectively, focusing on standardized clinical nutrition protocols and the integration of nutrition care into healthcare systems.
These activities aim to raise awareness of hospital malnutrition, build the capacity of health professionals, generate new data, and secure national adoption of nutrition care strategies.
Dr. Pounds praised the Federal Ministry of Health and other partners for tracking community malnutrition but urged them to extend the same level of attention to nutrition within hospitals.
“We must bring hospital malnutrition into the spotlight. Patients recovering from surgery, cancer patients, children in fragile health, older adults, and even malaria patients suffer the consequences of poor nutrition. Without proper nutrition care, recovery stops, and lives are placed at risk,” she warned.
She praised the inclusion of the Director of Nutrition at the Federal Ministry of Health, Mrs. Ladidi Bako-Aiyegbusi, as a webinar speaker, describing it as a “clear sign of partnership and commitment.” However, she stressed that commitment must translate into policy and action.
“I call on Mr. President, Bola Tinubu, and our national leaders to prioritize hospital nutrition within Nigeria’s healthcare strategies. Together, let us affirm that nutrition is a human right,” she urged.
Her message resonated with participants, including a pediatric nurse and midwife at Central Hospital, Warri, Delta State, Juliet Alavra, who highlighted the daily reality of malnutrition in clinical practice.
She said, “In my department, out of 11 children admitted weekly, about four are diagnosed with moderate or severe protein-energy malnutrition. It’s heartbreaking. Yes, the economy is tough, but health workers must do more to educate families on using local foods to prepare balanced meals.”
Alavra urged intensified grassroots health education, noting that parents often feed children plain noodles without nutritional value. “If you must prepare noodles, break an egg inside, add vegetables, or crayfish. With palm oil and a little spice, it becomes a balanced meal,” she advised.
She also called for strategies to provide meals for hospitalized children and support for families who cannot afford adequate nutrition.
As the week unfolds, WASPEN’s message is clear: ending malnutrition requires a holistic approach that bridges community and hospital care.
By uniting health professionals, government agencies, and communities under a common cause, advocates believe West Africa can build a stronger foundation for health and survival.
“Malnutrition must become a thing of the past in Nigeria, West Africa, and Africa at large,” Dr. Pounds added.
