Healthcare experts have raised concerns over the growing burden of hospital malnutrition in Nigeria, warning that the condition was contributing significantly to preventable deaths, prolonged hospital admissions, increased infections, and rising healthcare costs across the country.
The experts spoke during a virtual press conference organised by the West African Society of Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition (WASPEN) ahead of its 5th Annual Clinical Nutrition Conference.
Speaking at the briefing, Founder and President of WASPEN, Dr. Teresa Isichei Pounds, described hospital malnutrition as a “silent epidemic” that remains largely overlooked despite its devastating impact on patient outcomes.
According to her, between 30 and 45 per cent of patients admitted to tertiary hospitals in Nigeria are already malnourished on admission, while the prevalence rises to as much as 71 per cent among elderly patients in some hospital wards.
She noted that malnutrition affects patients across all age groups, from premature newborns and critically ill children to adults living with chronic conditions such as cancer, tuberculosis, HIV, and other diseases.
“Evidence shows that hospital malnutrition is associated with longer hospital stays, increased infections, delayed wound healing, higher treatment costs, and increased readmission and mortality rates,” Pounds said.
She added that the consequences of poor nutrition in healthcare facilities are becoming increasingly alarming, citing reports that more than 800 children with severe malnutrition died in Médecins Sans Frontières-supported facilities in Katsina State in 2024 alone.
According to her, inadequate nutrition screening and the absence of multidisciplinary nutrition support teams in many hospitals have continued to worsen the problem.
“Despite these consequences, nutrition care is still not consistently integrated into routine clinical practice in many healthcare settings,” she said.
Pounds stressed that strengthening clinical nutrition services could significantly improve patient recovery, reduce complications, and ease pressure on overstretched healthcare facilities.
She said the upcoming conference, themed “Sustainable Clinical Nutrition Services: Ensuring Access, Safety, and Collaboration,” would focus on addressing these gaps and promoting nutrition as an essential component of healthcare delivery.
Pounds noted that over the past five years, WASPEN has worked to strengthen nutrition care through advocacy, professional training, research, and the establishment of multidisciplinary Nutrition Support Steering Committees in several tertiary healthcare institutions across Nigeria.
Also speaking, chairman of the conference, Pharm. Chief Paul Osogbe Enebel, said malnutrition remains one of the most preventable causes of poor health outcomes in hospitals.
He explained that many patients suffer unnecessary complications because nutrition is often treated as a secondary concern rather than an integral part of treatment.
He stressed that clinical nutrition should be regarded as an essential healthcare service and not an optional support function.
According to him, the conference is expected to strengthen multidisciplinary nutrition support systems, improve adoption of standardised nutrition screening practices, enhance collaboration among healthcare professionals, and support policy discussions aimed at integrating nutrition into healthcare systems.
