A Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) West African Society of Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition (WASPEN), has urged the Federal Government to establish dedicated nutrition committees within hospitals across the country.
The President and Founder, WASPEN, Dr Teresa Pounds made the call during a virtual news conference on Tuesday.
The conference serves as a precursor to the forthcoming WASPEN Conference in collaboration with the National Hospital Abuja (NHA).
The theme of the conference is: “Bridging the Gap: Integrating Hospital and Community Malnutrition Care in Developing Countries.”
The conference is set to take place from June 17 to June 19, at the Trauma Center of the NHA.
According to him, the presence of malnutrition committees will aim to address persistent issues of hospital malnutrition that plagues healthcare facilities across the region.
She said that tackling malnutrition within hospitals is of critical necessity.
“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.
Pound said that patients suffering from malnutrition not only endured longer hospital stays but also faced 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 in 2024 served as a catalyst for this theme,” she said.
She 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 urged the government, hospitals, healthcare organisations, 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 prioritise nutrition screening as a standard practice,” she said.
Mrs Clara Adesola, representing the Chief Medical Director, NHA, Prof. Muhammad Mahmud, reiterated the significance of the partnership with WASPEN.
“This collaboration is both an honor and a necessity,” she stated, acknowledging alarming statistics from UNICEF that approximately two million children in Nigeria were 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 said.
Also, the Chairperson of the WASPEN Central Planning Committee, Mrs Nanret Basil- Ghinsel outlined the 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 to be led by the First Lady, Sen. Oluremi Tinubu, and a pivotal panel discussion on June 19 that will encapsulate the conference’s findings,” she said.
NAN
