In a bid to eradicate malnutrition in hospital, the West African Society of Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition (WASPEN), has called on the Federal Government to establish dedicated nutrition committees within hospitals across the country.
The call was made at a webinar press conference organised by CEOAFRICA. The press conference serves as a precursor to the forthcoming WASPEN Conference in collaboration with the National Hospital Abuja (NHA) with the theme “Bridging the Gap: Integrating Hospital and Community Malnutrition Care in Developing Countries.”
The conference schedule to hold at the Trauma Center of the National Hospital Abuja from June 17 to 19, 2025, is aimed to address the persistent issue of hospital malnutrition that plagues healthcare facilities across the region.
President and Founder, WASPEN, Dr. Teresa Isichei Pounds highlighted the critical nature of tackling malnutrition within hospitals.
“We aim to treat is the urgent necessity of addressing malnutrition in hospitals. This is a silent crisis, like a skeleton in the hospital closet that must be brought to light,” she stated.
Pounds explained that patients suffering from malnutrition not only endure longer hospital stays but also face increased risks of complications, underscoring the need for comprehensive data to understand the extent of hospital malnutrition.
Speaking about the conference, Pounds noted that WASPEN aim to demonstrate the significant gap between hospital and community malnutrition.
“Our insights from the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH) conference last year served as a catalyst for this theme,” she said.
She further underscored the importance of recognising hospital malnutrition as a pressing issue needing collective action, including the establishment of multidisciplinary committees for better patient screening to assess nutritional status.
Pounds also called on the government, hospitals, healthcare organisations among others to shift their focus toward malnutrition and implement comprehensive initiatives.
She stressed the importance of collaboration among experts, researchers, and policymakers in the field of nutrition, emphasizing the far-reaching impact of malnutrition on both adults and children across Nigeria and West Africa.
Highlighting the roles of esteemed keynote speakers, Pounds mentioned notable figures such as President of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), Dr. (Prof.) Bala Audu; former Vice-Chancellor of Chrisland University, Prof. Chinedum Peace Babalola and National President of the Institute of Dietetics in Nigeria, Tajudeen Olutope Ahmed Esq.
She insisted that their contributions would be instrumental in enlightening both healthcare professionals and policymakers about the complexities of malnutrition.
Chief Medical Director NHA, Prof. Muhammad Raji Mahmud, represented by LOC Chairman, Pharm. Adesola Clara said that the significance of the partnership withWASPEN is necessary.
“This collaboration is both an honour and a necessity,” she stated, acknowledging alarming statistics from United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF) that approximately two million children in Nigeria are affected by malnutrition.
“This is an urgent issue that must be addressed for the betterment of our society and the advancement of our economic growth,” she stated..
Chairperson, WASPEN Central Planning Committee, Pharm. Nanret Blessing Basil Ghinsel outlined the exciting plans leading up to the conference, including a hands-on training workshop on nutritional kits scheduled for June 16, a Health Awareness Walk on June 17 led by First Lady Oluremi Tinubu, and a pivotal panel discussion on June 19 that will encapsulate the conference’s findings.
