By Esther Onyegbula

The West African Society of Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition (WASPEN) has called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to elevate hospital malnutrition as a national healthcare priority and drive policy implementation.

The President of WASPEN, Dr. Teresa Pounds, made the call at a press conference to announce its upcoming Clinical Nutrition Conference, scheduled to take place from June 17 to June 19, 2025, at the National Hospital, Abuja.

Calling on stakeholders to take decisive action and prioritize clinical nutrition in Nigeria, Dr. Pounds said:

“Federal and state ministries of health should standardize clinical nutrition guidelines and make nutrition products affordable and accessible.”

According to her, implementing mandatory nutrition screening protocols and creating multidisciplinary nutrition committees in hospitals and healthcare institutions will go a long way in addressing hospital malnutrition.

Explaining further, Dr. Pounds stated, “Studies show that inadequate nutritional support leads to longer hospital stays, increased complications, higher mortality rates, and preventable deaths.”

Describing the conference as a crucial step toward tackling malnutrition in hospitals and communities, Dr. Pounds called it “the skeleton in the hospital’s closet” due to its devastating impact on patient recovery and healthcare costs.

“Hospital malnutrition remains a silent but deadly crisis, disproportionately affecting patients with chronic illnesses, surgical conditions, and those in critical care. Studies show that inadequate nutritional support leads to longer hospital stays, increased complications, higher mortality rates, and preventable deaths.”

“Beyond hospitals, millions of Nigerians suffer from undernutrition, food insecurity, and poor dietary habits, worsening public health outcomes. WASPEN is pushing for mandatory nutrition screening, early intervention, and policy-driven solutions to address this issue.”

“Many hospitals lack structured clinical nutrition programs, leaving vulnerable patients without the support they need,” Dr. Pounds said. “This conference will ensure that nutrition becomes a fundamental part of healthcare practice, not an afterthought.”

The event, themed “Bridging the Gap: Integrating Hospital and Community Malnutrition Care in Developing Countries,” is a major initiative to combat hospital and community malnutrition in Nigeria and across West Africa.

Speaking on the upcoming event, Chief Medical Director of the National Hospital, Abuja, Professor Muhammad Raji Mahmud, said: “Addressing malnutrition every day is an important opportunity for us to inform the world, especially Nigeria, about the seriousness of this issue.”

Mahmud, who was represented by Pharm. Clara Adesola, stated: “As we all know, malnutrition is a significant concern in hospitals. It affects a large number of our patients and impacts their recovery.”

“Once a patient is admitted and diagnosed with malnutrition, we closely monitor their condition. These cases cut across various departments of healthcare—pediatrics, the neonatal ward, and even the ICU. Integrating hospital and community-based malnutrition care in developing countries is essential, and Nigeria, being a developing country, urgently needs this intervention.”

“The awareness being created today stems from the severity of the problem. As our president mentioned, while we may lack national statistics in Nigeria, global statistics indicate that between 20% and 50% of hospitalized patients suffer from malnutrition. In Nigeria alone, UNICEF has reported that approximately two million children suffer from severe acute malnutrition. Additionally, slow economic growth contributes to the cycle of poverty and illness, worsening the situation.”

“This highlights the urgency of addressing malnutrition in Nigeria. We look forward to June when the conference will be held at the National Hospital. We take this opportunity to invite all multidisciplinary sectors involved in patient care to participate,” he added.

Former Director of NAFDAC and WASPEN Board Member, Dr. Monica Eimunjeze, said the event will bring together leading medical professionals, policymakers, researchers, and industry experts to drive urgent reforms in clinical nutrition.

According to her, the conference will feature top medical and policy experts, including: Professor Ali Pate, Coordinating Minister of Health (Special Guest of Honour) Professor Muhammad Raji Mahmud, Chief Medical Director, National Hospital, Abuja (Host) Professor Audu Bala, President, Nigerian Medical Association (Keynote Speaker) Professor Cyril Usifoh, Former President, Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (Conference Chairman) Tajudeen Olutope Ahmed, National President, Institute of Dietetics in Nigeria (Keynote Speaker) Comrade Haruna Mamman, President, National Association of Nigerian Nurses and Midwives (Guest of Honor)

Their discussions will focus on developing national policies, expanding clinical nutrition programs, and strengthening research initiatives to tackle hospital malnutrition.