Malnutrition, a pressing concern often overlooked in the context of broader public health issues, is increasingly emerging as a significant challenge within hospital environments, according to leading healthcare experts.
These professionals expressed concerns about hospital malnutrition, where patients do not receive adequate nutritional care while undergoing treatment, describing it as a critical yet neglected issue in Nigeria and several other African nations.
During a webinar hosted by the West African Society for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition, which was monitored by NAIJATRAFFIC, the specialists emphasized the importance of assessing patients for malnutrition upon hospitalization as a method to address this escalating problem.
They highlighted that early identification and comprehensive treatment of malnutrition are essential for preventing complications and enhancing patient outcomes.
The experts called on the government to back initiatives focused on tackling hospital malnutrition, including support for funding, research, and educational efforts.
To raise awareness, WASPEN has launched a Malnutrition Awareness Week, starting today (Tuesday), aimed at emphasizing the scope and severe effects of hospital malnutrition in Nigeria.
This initiative includes educational activities and screenings at major institutions, such as Lagos University Teaching Hospital, Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital, Niger Delta University Teaching Hospital, and Federal Teaching Hospital, Owerri.
The week will feature two important webinars aimed at promoting awareness and discussing strategies for managing hospital malnutrition.
Dr. Teresa Pounds, President and Founder of WASPEN, noted that despite hospital malnutrition being a silent crisis affecting countless individuals in Nigeria, it often goes unnoticed and lacks sufficient funding.
The pharmacist explained that many patients entering hospitals already suffer from nutritional deficiencies, which are exacerbated by their illnesses, surgeries, or treatments.
She asserted that without timely and effective nutritional assessments, these individuals face heightened risks of complications, longer recovery periods, and increased healthcare costs.
According to her, the issue of hospital malnutrition demands immediate intervention.
“Malnutrition in the hospital setting exists, and it is something we definitely have to focus on. We need to start looking at what’s happening in the hospital, and we need to support it in terms of funding, human resources, and technical support.
“When patients come into the hospital, they may have surgical procedures that make it difficult for them to eat, or they may have conditions that affect their nutritional status.
“If we don’t detect and address malnutrition early, it can lead to increased risk of infections, delayed wound healing, and even death,” she highlighted.
Dr. Pounds emphasized the necessity for collaboration among healthcare professionals to effectively combat hospital malnutrition.
She advocated for the establishment of multidisciplinary nutrition support teams within hospitals that would include physicians, pharmacists, nurses, dietitians, and social workers.
These teams would be tasked with educating hospital staff, evaluating patients’ nutritional needs, and implementing suitable nutritional interventions.
Pounds urged the government to acknowledge the severity of hospital malnutrition and allocate resources to support initiatives aimed at resolving this issue.
Additionally, she called on non-governmental organizations, healthcare providers, and the media to help raise awareness and advocate for change.
“Addressing hospital malnutrition requires a collective effort from all stakeholders. By collaborating, we can ensure that patients receive the proper nutritional care they need during their hospital stay,” she asserted.
Regarding WASPEN’s Malnutrition Awareness Week, Pounds explained that the first webinar on Tuesday will explore strategies for the early detection and comprehensive management of malnutrition.
The second webinar, scheduled for Thursday, will focus on advancing nutrition advocacy and emphasizing the significance of multidisciplinary cooperation in addressing malnutrition.
Dr. Charles Nwako, a clinical pharmacist and member of WASPEN, expressed concern over the lack of collaboration among healthcare providers in Nigeria.
He emphasized that teamwork among healthcare professionals is crucial for addressing hospital malnutrition, stating that providers need to work together for patient-centered care.
“One challenge I see in this part of the country is that there is no proper collaboration among the healthcare providers. And that’s why you see a lot of things that are happening haphazardly. We are not collaborating. The physician, the pharmacist, and the nurses are living as if we are an island, rather than coming together to help the patient.
“Collaboration among health workers would make us provide what we call; patient-centered care. In other words, the patient is the focus.
“The patient is the focus and all these other disciplines have to work together to make sure that that patient is okay.”
Evelyn Akhigbe, a registered dietitian from the Niger Delta University Teaching Hospital in Okolobiri, Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, emphasized the necessity for healthcare professionals to promote awareness about malnutrition in hospitals.
She lamented that hospital malnutrition has been largely neglected and urged the government and policymakers to work with hospital management to eradicate it.
“We need to recognise that hospital malnutrition is a critical issue that requires urgent attention.
“We urge the government to provide support for nutrition programs, research, and education to help us tackle this problem.
“Health professionals need to work together so that the government and those in policy can be aware that hospital malnutrition has been completely abandoned. That is why WASPEN is speaking for the hospitalised patients.,” she noted.
In addition, Naruka Solomon Yakubu, a pharmacist from Plateau State Teaching Hospital, mentioned that many patients are not critically ill but simply malnourished.
He asserted that addressing malnutrition in hospitals could alleviate numerous health challenges.
However, he regretted that insufficient numbers of dietitians in hospitals contribute to the rise in hospital malnutrition.
He encouraged policymakers to facilitate the hiring of more dietitians to enhance awareness of the implications of malnutrition among patients.
He reinforced that through collaboration among healthcare professionals, policymakers, and stakeholders, the issue of hospital malnutrition can be addressed, leading to improved patient care across the country.
