West African Society of Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition (WASPEN) has warned that hospitalised patients are particularly vulnerable to malnutrition due to underlying illnesses, socioeconomic challenges, and limited access to adequate nutrition.
Founder and President of WASPEN, Dr. Teresa Isichei Pounds, issued this warning during a virtual press conference to mark the launch of Malnutrition Awareness Week 2025.
This year’s campaign, themed “United Against Malnutrition,” is part of a global initiative led by the American Society for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition (ASPEN) and its International Clinical Nutrition Section. According to Pounds, the effort aims to highlight hospital malnutrition as a silent epidemic that undermines recovery, increases healthcare costs, and worsens mortality rates.
Estimates suggest that between 20 and 50 per cent of patients admitted to hospitals worldwide suffer from malnutrition, yet the condition remains largely under-recognised in clinical practice and national health agendas.
According to her, in Nigeria, emerging studies from tertiary hospitals suggest that inpatient malnutrition rates range between 30 per cent and 45 per cent, with the highest prevalence observed among surgical, paediatric, and oncology patients.
She lamented that data from specific states paint an alarming picture: in Nasarawa, a study revealed that 41.2 per cent of hospitalized children under five were malnourished, with 15.8 per cent suffering from Moderate Acute Malnutrition (MAM) and 25.5 per cent from Severe Acute Malnutrition (SAM).
“In Magumeri, Borno State, SAM prevalence among admitted children was 4 per cent, while in Enugu, 71.3 per cent of hospitalised elderly patients were found to be malnourished, with only 6.6 per cent classified as well-nourished.
“These patients often experience delayed wound healing, increased susceptibility to infections, prolonged hospital stays, and avoidable re-admissions.
“Nutrition is not a privilege for the few; it is the foundation of health, dignity, and recovery for all. By joining Malnutrition Awareness Week, Nigeria and West Africa add their voices to a growing global movement to make this right a reality,” she stressed.
Despite years of international attention on community malnutrition, where over 30 per cent of Nigerian children remain stunted and about seven per cent wasted, WASPEN emphasised that hospital malnutrition has received far less policy attention.
“You cannot solve one side of the problem and ignore the other. Community malnutrition and hospital malnutrition are two sides of the same coin. Progress on one without the other leaves the circle incomplete,” Pounds noted.
The 2025 program features webinars on clinical nutrition protocols, institution-specific activities across Nigeria and West Africa, as well as collaborative events with government officials. Director of Nutrition at the Federal Ministry of Health, Mrs. Ladidi Bako-Aiyegbusi, is scheduled to participate as a speaker, underscoring the government’s involvement.
International experts, including the Past President of ASPEN, Dr. Phil Ayers, and an ASPEN board member, Dr. Albert Barrocas, are also attending the events, highlighting the growing partnership between West Africa and the global nutrition community.
WASPEN urged policymakers to prioritise hospital nutrition within Nigeria’s healthcare strategies.
“I call on professional societies, institutions, and partners across West Africa to collaborate in bridging this gap in nutrition care. Together, let us unite against malnutrition in the community and hospitals alike. Together, let us affirm that nutrition is a human right.
“Patients recovering from surgery, those 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,” Pounds warned.
