The 5th Annual Clinical Nutrition Conference of the West African Society for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition (WASPEN) is set to hold from 22 to 25 of June, 2026, at the Federal Medical Centre Asaba, Delta State, bringing together healthcare professionals, nutrition experts, policymakers, and researchers committed to advancing clinical nutrition practice in Nigeria and across West Africa.
The conference, themed “Sustainable Clinical Nutrition Services: Ensuring Access, Safety, and Collaboration,” will focus on strengthening resilient nutrition systems capable of delivering safe, accessible, and evidence-based nutrition care despite prevailing healthcare challenges.
In an exclusive interview with Pharmanewsonline, the Founder and President, WASPEN, Dr Teresa Isichei Pounds, said the event would provide a platform for knowledge sharing, policy discussions, and practical training aimed at improving patient outcomes through nutrition intervention.
With the Executive Governor of Delta State, Rt. Hon. Sheriff Francis Orohwedor Oborevwori, as special guest of honour, who will be declaring the conference opened, the organisers said the annual gathering has become one of the region’s premier scientific meetings dedicated to clinical nutrition, attracting physicians, pharmacists, nurses, dietitians, laboratory scientists, public health experts, and other healthcare stakeholders involved in nutrition support and patient care.
The Coordinating Minister of Health & Social Welfare Special, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate, will also be a guest of honour, at the strategic nutrition conference, where key areas of discussion will include sustainable nutrition support in resource-limited settings, patient safety and quality assurance in enteral and parenteral nutrition, multi-disciplinary collaboration in clinical nutrition care, as well as nutrition policy and advocacy across West Africa.
One of the highlights of the conference will be a presentation on “Integrating Clinical Nutrition into HIV Programmes in Resource-Limited Settings” by Dr Zandraetta Tims-Cook from Atlanta, United States. The session is expected to examine practical approaches to embedding nutrition care into HIV management programmes in developing countries.
The scientific session will also feature an international presentation on “Severe Enteroperitoneal Tuberculosis and Mucosal Immunity” by Dr Mario Ferreyra. Other dignitaries expected at the conference include Obi Professor Epiphany Azinge, among other notable healthcare leaders and scholars.
Delivering the keynote address on “Building Sustainable Clinical Nutrition Services in Nigeria: Guidelines, Collaboration, and a Call to Action” will be Mrs Ladidi Bako-Aiyegbusi, former director of nutrition, Federal Ministry of Health.
Another major presentation titled, “Championing Hospital Nutrition Care: A Vision for Delta State and Nigeria” are Pharm. (Chief) Paul Osogbe Enebeli, chairman of the occasion, and Dr Joseph Onojaeme.
As part of activities lined up for the conference, participants will engage in intensive pre-conference workshops scheduled for June 22, focusing on practical skills in clinical nutrition. The workshops are designed to deepen participants’ competencies in enteral and parenteral nutrition support, paediatric nutrition assessment, nutrition screening, and quality assurance in clinical nutrition practice.
Organisers said the Enteral and Parenteral Nutrition Support workshop would expose participants to practical approaches in calculating macro and micronutrient requirements, selecting appropriate formulas, and managing access routes for adult and paediatric patients.
Another session on Paediatric Nutrition Assessment will train participants on growth monitoring, malnutrition screening, and development of nutrition care plans for children and infants.
The conference will also feature sessions on nutrition screening and assessment, aimed at equipping healthcare professionals with tools for early identification of malnutrition and effective documentation of nutrition risks.
Additionally, participants will receive training on quality assurance protocols, clinical outcome monitoring, and patient safety measures in nutrition therapy delivery, further reinforcing the conference’s commitment to advancing sustainable clinical nutrition services in Nigeria and the West African region.
