The West African Society of Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition (WASPEN) has launched the 2025 edition of Malnutrition Awareness Week with a strong call for collective action against what it described as the “silent epidemic” of hospital malnutrition.
Speaking at a press conference on Monday, the President and Founder of WASPEN, Dr. Teresa I. Pounds, said this year’s campaign, themed “United Against Malnutrition”, underscores the need for global and regional collaboration to address malnutrition in both communities and healthcare facilities.
Dr. Pounds stressed that hospital malnutrition remains a critical but under-recognized challenge, with global estimates showing that one in three hospitalized patients suffer from malnutrition. In Nigeria, emerging data from tertiary hospitals reveal inpatient malnutrition rates between 30% and 45%, particularly among surgical, paediatric, and oncology patients.
“Malnutrition within hospital settings undermines recovery, escalates healthcare costs, and worsens mortality—yet it remains poorly recognized and inadequately addressed,” she said.
She emphasized the troubling statistics, including a study in Nasarawa State where 41.2% of under-five children admitted showed signs of global malnutrition, while 71.3% of hospitalized elderly patients in Enugu were found to be malnourished.
At the community level, over 30% of Nigerian children are stunted and about 7% wasted, a situation Dr. Pounds described as “two sides of the same coin” when linked to hospital malnutrition.
To bridge data gaps, WASPEN is partnering with a leading Nigerian institution to gather updated national figures on hospital malnutrition, which will inform advocacy for integrating nutrition care into Nigeria’s health strategies.
This year marks only the second Malnutrition Awareness Week in Nigeria. The initiative has expanded significantly, with 17 institutions participating nationwide—up from seven last year—and, for the first time, the inclusion of Cameroon and Ghana.
The awareness week, running from September 8 to 12, will feature webinars on standardized clinical nutrition protocols and pathways for embedding nutrition care into healthcare systems, alongside institution-specific events across West Africa.
Dr. Pounds commended the Federal Government and the Ministry of Health for their work on tackling community malnutrition but urged policymakers to prioritize hospital nutrition. “Commitment must translate into policy and action,” she emphasized, calling on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, national leaders, and professional bodies to make nutrition a structured part of healthcare delivery.
She also acknowledged the participation of international partners from the American Society for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition (ASPEN), Dr. Phil Ayers and Dr. Albert Barrocas, whose presence signals West Africa’s growing role in the global nutrition care movement.
“Our message is simple: nutrition is a human right. Patients recovering from surgery, 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,” Dr. Pounds said.
