The West African Society of Parental and Enteral Nutrition (WASPEN) has warned Nigeria to take proactive measures against the rise of malnutrition in the country, especially across hospitals, describing it as a silent killer affecting countless patients in the country.

Founder and President of WASPEN, Dr Teresa Pounds, who gave the warning during a virtual media briefing organised as part of activities to mark the Malnutrition Awareness Week (MAW), called for effective and immediate management of malnutrition in the healthcare sector, stressing that the situation is becoming a pressing health concern that requires sustained attention from stakeholders and healthcare practitioners.

She stated that there is little or no information about the nutrition status of most patients in Nigerian hospitals, adding that this poses serious implications for the country’s healthcare system.

Pounds said that to address the challenge, healthcare experts must engage in continuous advocacy on the danger of malnutrition among patients, adding that many hospitals are not emphasising the crisis.

The WASPEN President also advised patients to submit themselves for screening, stressing that early detection and treatment would help to reduce complications and enhance quality of life.

“Malnutrition screening must be carried out and that is why we are focusing on hospitals,” she said.

Malnourished patients are at a higher risk of surgical complications, longer stay in hospital, and increased healthcare costs. By investing in hospital nutrition programmes, we can improve patients’ outcomes and reduce the overall burden on the healthcare system,” she said.

She, however, called for the establishment of National Steering Committees (NSC) across hospitals in the country that will involve doctors, pharmacists, nurses, dieticians, and social workers, to help address malnutrition-related concerns.

The WASPEN founder, however, expressed the commitment of the organisation in advancing nutrition awareness across Africa, urging dieticians, doctors, nurses, pharmacists and other health professionals to unite to enhance clinical nutrition care and reduce malnutrition in both hospital and outpatient settings.

Pounds, who also called on stakeholders to collaborate in curbing the challenge, said that government should specifically implement policies that prioritise nutrition in healthcare, stressing that this is one of the major barriers to effective nutrition care in the country.

In her remarks, a member of WASPEN at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), OjeiOnyebuka, noted that malnutrition in the hospital must be addressed using a multisectoral approach, adding that focus should be placed on pregnant women so that they could give birth to a healthy child. She also called for the resuscitation of exclusive breastfeeding, saying that this would help to combat the spread of malnutrition among infants and babies.