The West African Society of Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition (WASPEN) has called for stronger nutrition care in Nigerian hospitals, saying malnutrition continues to undermine patient recovery and healthcare outcomes.
Speaking at a virtual press conference to announce the 5th Annual WASPEN Clinical Nutrition Conference, the Founder and President of WASPEN, Dr. Teresa Isichei Pounds, said malnutrition remains one of the most under-recognized threats to patient safety despite its devastating impact on patients and healthcare systems.
Dr. Pounds noted that malnutrition affects patients at all stages of life, from premature newborns in neonatal intensive care units to children and adults battling chronic diseases such as HIV, tuberculosis, cancer, and other surgical conditions.
According to her, the consequences of poor nutrition in healthcare settings include longer hospital stays, increased infections, delayed wound healing, higher treatment costs, increased hospital readmissions, and mortality.
“The problem is that nutrition screening does not happen consistently, and many hospitals still lack multidisciplinary nutrition teams. Yet despite these consequences, nutrition care is still not consistently integrated into routine clinical practice in many healthcare settings,” she stated.
Dr. Pounds announced that the 5th Annual WASPEN Clinical Nutrition Conference will hold from June 22 to June 25, 2026, at the Federal Medical Centre, Asaba, Delta State, with the theme: “Sustainable Clinical Nutrition Services: Ensuring Access, Safety, and Collaboration.”
She explained that the conference theme reflects the urgent need to ensure that every patient requiring nutrition support has access to it regardless of economic status or location, while also promoting evidence-based practice and stronger collaboration among healthcare professionals and institutions.
Dr. Pounds said the conference marks an important milestone for the organisation, which was founded in 2019 to transform clinical nutrition care across West Africa through education, advocacy, research, and interdisciplinary collaboration.
“This fifth annual conference represents more than a routine gathering, it reflects five years of sustained advocacy, five years of building partnerships, five years of professional training, and five years of advancing clinical nutrition from the margins of healthcare into the centre of patient care,” she said.
Highlighting the society’s achievements, Dr. Pounds said; “WASPEN has successfully hosted four consecutive annual clinical nutrition conferences and established multidisciplinary Nutrition Support Steering Committees in several leading healthcare institutions, including Lagos University Teaching Hospital, Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital, National Hospital Abuja, Army Command and NAOWA Hospital Abuja, and Niger Delta University Teaching Hospital.”
She said that the society has strengthened advocacy through Malnutrition Awareness Week activities conducted in collaboration with international partners and continues to support research aimed at improving nutrition outcomes and informing health policies.
The WASPEN President disclosed that this year’s conference will place special emphasis on neonatal and pediatric nutrition care, recognising that newborns and children remain among the most vulnerable groups whose survival and development depend heavily on appropriate nutrition support.
Dr. Pounds said the conference will feature distinguished international faculty, scientific presentations, policy discussions, hands-on workshops, community outreach programmes, networking sessions, and an expert roundtable on safe parenteral nutrition for neonates in resource-limited settings.
More than 300 participants from Nigeria and other countries, including healthcare professionals, researchers, policymakers, and international collaborators, are expected to attend the event.
Dr. Pounds expressed appreciation to the Delta State Government, the Federal Medical Centre Asaba, the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, professional associations, sponsors, and development partners for supporting the conference and efforts to improve clinical nutrition services in the region.
Calling for greater collaboration among stakeholders, she urged governments, healthcare institutions, development organisations, and the media to support efforts aimed at strengthening nutrition care systems.
“Together, we can strengthen nutrition care systems, together, we can improve early identification and treatment of malnutrition, together, we can improve outcomes for newborns, children, and adults across our region, and together, we can build a future where every patient receives the nutrition care they need to survive, recover, and thrive,” she said.
