Teresa Pounds, president and founder of the West African Society of Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition (WASPEN), on Monday described hospital malnutrition as a silent epidemic.

Ms Pounds said during a virtual media conference marking the 2025 Malnutrition Awareness Week that it undermines patient recovery and increases mortality rates in Nigeria and beyond. She spoke on the theme “United Against Malnutrition.”

“Hospitalised patients are particularly vulnerable due to underlying illnesses, socioeconomic factors, and limited access to adequate nutrition.

“Globally, between 20 per cent and 50 per cent of hospitalised patients suffer from malnutrition,” she said.

She noted that while comprehensive national data were limited in Nigeria, emerging studies from tertiary hospitals report inpatient malnutrition rates between 30 per cent and 45 per cent, particularly among surgical, paediatric, and oncology patients.

Ms Pounds highlighted that hospitalised children and the elderly were the most affected.

“In Nasarawa State, a study showed that 41.2 per cent of under-five children admitted to hospitals had global malnutrition, with 15.8 per cent experiencing moderate acute malnutrition (MAM) and 25.5 per cent severe acute malnutrition (SAM).

“In Magumeri, Borno State, SAM prevalence among admitted children was four per cent.

“In Enugu, 71.3 per cent of hospitalised elderly patients were malnourished, 22.1 per cent were at risk, and only 6.6 per cent were well-nourished,” she stated.

She added that malnourished patients were more likely to experience delayed wound healing, increased risk of infection, longer hospital stays, and, in some cases, avoidable readmissions.

Ms Pounds emphasised that hospital malnutrition was closely linked to community malnutrition.

“In Nigeria, more than 30 per cent of children are stunted, and about 7 per cent are wasted.

“These numbers reflect deep-rooted challenges, but they also show why a holistic approach is essential. Malnutrition in the community and in hospitals is two sides of the same coin,” she said.

She disclosed that WASPEN was partnering with a leading Nigerian institution to generate updated national data on hospital malnutrition.

Ms Pounds said the findings would support advocacy for including clinical nutrition in Nigeria’s national health strategies.

She also acknowledged the support of international collaborators, including the American Society of Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition (ASPEN), represented by past president Phil Ayers and board member Albert Barrocas.

As part of Malnutrition Awareness Week, Ms Pounds announced expert-led webinars on clinical nutrition protocols, discussions on integrating nutrition into national health systems, and institution-specific events across Nigeria and West Africa.

While commending the federal government and nutrition-focused organisations for efforts to combat community malnutrition, Ms Pounds stressed that hospital malnutrition must not be neglected.

(NAN)