A Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) West African Society of Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition (WASPEN), on Monday, urged President Bola Tinubu and the Nigerian government to establish dedicated nutrition committees within hospitals across the country.
Dr Teresa Pounds, President and Founder, WASPEN, made the call during a virtual press conference held in Abuja.
The press conference serves as a precursor to the forthcoming WASPEN Conference in collaboration with the National Hospital Abuja (NHA) titled: “Bridging the Gap: Integrating Hospital and Community Malnutrition Care in Developing Countries”.
The conference is set to take place from June 17 to 19, at the Trauma Center of the National Hospital Abuja.
The conference aims to address the persistent issue of hospital malnutrition that plagues healthcare facilities across the region.
Pounds said that the critical nature of tackling malnutrition within hospitals.
“The main issue 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 said.
She said 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.
Reflecting on the conference theme, she noted, “We aim to demonstrate the significant gap between hospital and community malnutrition.
“Our insights from the LUTH conference last year served as a catalyst for this theme.”
She underscored the importance of recognizing hospital malnutrition as a pressing issue needing collective action, including the establishment of multidisciplinary committees for better patient screening to assess nutritional status.
Pounds called on the government, hospitals, healthcare organizations, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and public-private partnerships to shift their focus toward malnutrition and implement comprehensive initiatives.
“We want NAFDAC to lend support and for pharmaceutical and nutrition companies to invest in making essential nutritional products readily accessible. Institutions must prioritize nutrition screening as a standard practice,” she said.
Mrs Adesola Clara, representing Chief Medical Director NHA, Prof. Muhammad Raji Mahmud, said that the significance of the partnership with WASPEN was underscored.
“This collaboration is both an honor and a necessity,” she stated, acknowledging alarming statistics from UNICEF that approximately 2 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 affirmed.
Also, Mrs Nanret Basil Ghinsel, Chairperson of the WASPEN Central Planning Committee, outlined the exciting plans leading up to the conference, including a hands-on training workshop on nutritional kits scheduled for June 16.
“Others are 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,” she said.
