…tasks govt on nutrition policy in healthcare system

By Esther Onyegbula

The West African Society of Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition, WASPEN, has raised the alarm over growing cases of malnutrition among hospitalized patients in Nigeria, warning that the situation poses a serious threat to recovery and survival outcomes.

President of WASPEN, Dr. Teresa Isichei Pounds, gave the warning during a virtual press conference to flag off activities marking Malnutrition Awareness Week 2025, themed “United Against Malnutrition.”

According to Pounds, hospital malnutrition remains a “silent epidemic” that undermines recovery, worsens mortality, and escalates healthcare costs. She lamented that despite global concern over community malnutrition, inadequate attention has been paid to malnutrition among inpatients in Nigeria.

“Nutrition is not a privilege for the few. It is the foundation of health, dignity, and recovery for all. By joining Malnutrition Awareness Week, Nigeria and West Africa add their voices to a growing global movement to make this right a reality,” she said.

WASPEN disclosed that between 20 and 50 per cent of patients admitted to hospitals worldwide suffer from malnutrition, while figures from Nigerian tertiary hospitals show inpatient malnutrition rates between 30 and 45 per cent. The highest burden, it noted, is found among surgical, paediatric, and oncology patients.

She cited recent state-level data that painted an “alarming picture.” In Nasarawa State, 41.2 per cent of hospitalized under-five children were malnourished, with 25.5 per cent suffering from Severe Acute Malnutrition, SAM. In Borno State, a study in Magumeri showed 4 per cent SAM prevalence among admitted children, while in Enugu, 71.3 per cent of hospitalized elderly patients were found to be malnourished.

“These patients often experience delayed wound healing, increased risk of infections, prolonged hospital stays, and avoidable re-admissions,” she warned.

Pounds stressed that community and hospital malnutrition must be tackled simultaneously.
“You cannot solve one side of the problem and ignore the other. Community malnutrition and hospital malnutrition are two sides of the same coin. Progress on one without the other leaves the circle incomplete,” she said.

As part of this year’s awareness programme, WASPEN announced a series of webinars on clinical nutrition protocols, institution-specific activities across Nigeria and West Africa, and engagements with policymakers.

The Director of Nutrition, Federal Ministry of Health, Mrs. Ladidi Bako-Aiyegbusi, is expected to participate, alongside international experts such as former ASPEN President, Dr. Phil Ayers, and ASPEN board member, Dr. Albert Barrocas.

WASPEN, therefore, called on government at all levels to prioritise hospital nutrition as a core part of healthcare delivery.

“Patients recovering from surgery, those battling cancer, older adults, and children in fragile health all rely on proper nutrition care. Without it, recovery stalls and lives are placed at risk,” Pounds warned.