Hospital malnutrition requires urgent action, WASPEN tells FG

– Says 45% of patients are malnourished

The West African Society of Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition (WASPEN) has raised serious concerns over the rising incidence of hospital malnutrition in Nigeria, describing it as a silent epidemic that requires urgent intervention by the Federal Government to avert a full-blown crisis.

The society revealed that between 30 and 45 per cent of patients admitted to tertiary hospitals in the country are already malnourished at admission. This figure reportedly rises to 71 per cent among patients in elderly wards in Enugu. It also cited Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) data indicating that more than 800 children with severe malnutrition died in Katsina health facilities in 2024 alone due to inadequate screening and shortages of multidisciplinary nutrition teams.

Founder and President of WASPEN, Dr Teresa Isichei Pounds, disclosed this during a virtual press conference held to herald the society’s 5th Annual Conference, scheduled for June 22–25 at the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Asaba, Delta State.

The conference, themed “Sustainable Clinical Nutrition Services: Ensuring Access, Safety, and Collaboration,” will focus on three key priorities: ensuring that every patient who requires nutrition support can access it regardless of location or economic status; promoting evidence-based nutrition interventions through standardized protocols and multidisciplinary oversight; and fostering collaboration among healthcare professionals, institutions, government agencies, researchers, and international partners to address malnutrition in a coordinated and effective manner.

Dr Pounds emphasized that malnutrition remains one of the most under-recognized threats to patient safety and recovery. According to her, it affects patients across all stages of life—from premature newborns in neonatal intensive care units to children battling severe illnesses and adults living with chronic diseases such as HIV, tuberculosis, cancer, and surgical conditions.

“Evidence shows that hospital malnutrition is associated with longer hospital stays, increased infections, delayed wound healing, higher treatment costs, and increased readmission and mortality rates,” she said.

She urged the Federal Government to accord hospital malnutrition the same level of attention currently given to community-based malnutrition interventions. She called for increased investment in nutrition screening programmes, specialized nutrition products, and multidisciplinary support systems within healthcare facilities.

According to her, many patients requiring advanced nutrition therapies, such as parenteral nutrition, are often unable to access treatment due to financial constraints and limited availability of resources.

“The government needs to recognise that hospital malnutrition has both clinical and economic consequences. We need the resources to identify these patients early and provide the necessary interventions that can save lives and reduce healthcare costs,” she said.

The clinician added that this year’s conference places special emphasis on neonatal and pediatric nutrition care, noting that these groups are among the most vulnerable patients in the healthcare system.

“Their survival and long-term development are deeply dependent on timely and appropriate nutrition support,” she stated.

The Chairman of the conference, Pharm. (Chief) Paul Enebeli, corroborated the points raised by the founder, noting that healthcare practitioners continue to witness the adverse impact of malnutrition on patient outcomes.

According to him, malnutrition slows recovery, prolongs hospital stays, worsens complications, and places significant financial pressure on both families and healthcare systems.

“What is often overlooked is that many of these outcomes are preventable,” he said.

He urged the government to adopt a preventive approach through timely nutrition screening, early intervention, and coordinated multidisciplinary care, stressing that such measures would help patients recover faster, respond better to treatment, and experience fewer complications.

“This is why clinical nutrition must be treated as an essential clinical service, not an optional support function,” he added.

The Chief Medical Director of FMC Asaba, Dr Ekeneam Omo, expressed the hospital’s delight at hosting the 2026 WASPEN Clinical Nutrition Conference, noting that the necessary facilities have been put in place for the event.

Dr Omo thanked WASPEN for choosing FMC Asaba as the host institution, describing the opportunity as significant for advancing clinical nutrition practice within the facility.

“We are excited to host this conference because of the immense benefits it will bring to our institution and the healthcare system. Preparations are already ongoing, and we are engaging the Delta State Government to ensure a successful event,” he stated.