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By Bianca Iboma-Emefu
In a bold move to combat the silent epidemic undermining patient recovery and escalating healthcare costs, the West African Society of Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition (WASPEN) has launched Malnutrition Awareness Week 2025, with the theme: “United Against Malnutrition.”
The initiative has been rallying Nigeria and West Africa to recognize hospital malnutrition as a critical health crisis.
President and Founder of WASPEN, Dr. Teresa Pounds, has commended the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Mr. Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the Federal Ministry of Health, and all nutrition-focused organizations for their tireless efforts in tackling community malnutrition, during a press conference heralding the week-long event.
“These achievements deserve recognition and support. Yet we must also recognize that malnutrition is a holistic challenge. To truly overcome it, we must bring hospital malnutrition into the spotlight. 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 at risk.
Despite ongoing efforts, we need to intensify the campaign and create more awareness to ensure that patients are fed nutritious meals while recovering in hospitals.”
Nigeria faces a hidden hospital malnutrition crisis threatening patient recovery. Millions of patients in Nigeria are suffering in silence, with devastating consequences.
However, Dr. Pounds revealed that up to 45% of hospital patients in Nigeria are malnourished — a shocking figure that exposes a crisis many prefer to ignore. From surgical wards to paediatric units, malnutrition has been delaying healing, increasing infections, and even causing unnecessary deaths.
“Hospital malnutrition is a ticking time bomb,” Dr. Pounds declared. “It affects the most vulnerable—children, the elderly, cancer patients—and it is costing lives and taxpayers billions in prolonged stays and re-admissions.”
Alarmingly, recent data shows that 41.2% of children under five in Nasarawa State are malnourished, while 71.3% of elderly patients in Enugu are in the same dangerous predicament. The consequences include longer hospital stays, more complications, and higher mortality rates. Yet, despite its deadly toll, malnutrition remains a neglected crisis on Nigeria’s health agenda.
She stated, “This is why WASPEN, in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Health, is ensuring that hospital malnutrition is not left behind. We are especially proud that the Ministry’s Director of Nutrition, Mrs. Ladidi Bako-Aiyegbusi, will serve as a speaker during our webinars this week—a clear sign of government partnership and commitment. But commitment must translate into policy and action. So today, I call on the President and our national leaders to prioritize hospital nutrition within Nigeria’s healthcare strategies. I also call on professional societies, institutions, and partners across West Africa to collaborate in bridging this gap in nutrition care.”
Dr. Pounds emphasized that “malnutrition in hospitals is a silent killer,” with startling statistics revealing that up to 45% of hospitalized patients in Nigeria suffer from malnutrition — a figure health experts believe is underreported and often ignored. The campaign, themed “United Against Malnutrition,” aims to spotlight this overlooked threat, emphasizing that good nutrition is a basic human right vital for recovery and survival.
While community malnutrition remains a pressing concern—over 30% of Nigerian children are stunted—the focus now shifts inward, to hospital wards where vulnerable patients face delayed healing, infections, and unnecessary re-admissions due to inadequate nutritional care. Recent studies in Nasarawa and Borno states have revealed that nearly half of pediatric patients are affected, with elderly patients also bearing the burden—71% of whom are malnourished.
Dr. Pounds warns, “We cannot fight community malnutrition without addressing hospital malnutrition. They are two sides of the same coin.” To this end, WASPEN is partnering with Nigeria’s Federal Ministry of Health to collect national data, aiming to embed hospital nutrition into official health policies.
The campaign features a week of impactful activities, including expert webinars and local institution events, with the participation of international nutrition leaders from ASPEN. For the first time, Cameroon and Ghana are joining Nigeria in this regional crusade, signaling a united front against malnutrition.
With international support from ASPEN leaders and collaborations across Nigeria, Ghana, and Cameroon, this year’s campaign is larger than ever. But experts warn that words are not enough — Nigeria must act swiftly to integrate proper nutritional care into its healthcare system or risk more preventable deaths.
The time to confront hospital malnutrition is now! Nigeria’s future depends on it.
As Nigeria’s President and health authorities are called to action, Dr. Pounds passionately concludes, “Together, we must ensure that hospital malnutrition is no longer hidden in the shadows. Our patients deserve better — they deserve nutrition that restores, heals, and saves lives.”
Dr. Phil Ayers and Dr. Albert Barrocas from ASPEN underscore the global importance, urging Nigerian leaders to prioritize hospital nutrition policies. “Nutrition is not a privilege; it’s a human right that saves lives,” Dr. Barrocas emphasized.
He added that WASPEN’s week-long campaign aims to wake up policymakers and health workers alike, with webinars, regional outreach, and urgent calls to action. The message is clear: nutrition isn’t just a personal issue — it’s a fundamental human right that the government must prioritize now.
Nigeria’s hospitals are battling a silent killer — malnutrition — that is crippling patient recovery and pushing the health system to the brink.
