The West African Society for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition, in collaboration with the Indian Society for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition, has called for urgent reforms in clinical nutrition practices, urging hospitals to adopt a “golden hour” approach to nutritional screening in order to curb rising cases of hospital malnutrition.
The recommendation was made during a high-level global webinar themed “Strengthening Clinical Nutrition Care Through Effective Nutrition Assessment,” where international experts described hospital malnutrition as a growing but often overlooked global health crisis.
Delivering the keynote address, Daphnee Lovesley, Chief Clinical Dietitian at Apollo Hospitals, stressed the need for early nutritional intervention, warning that the crisis often begins at the point of hospital admission.
She revealed that at least 11 hospitalised patients go undiagnosed with malnutrition every minute.
According to her, up to two-thirds of patients are already malnourished at the time of admission, with figures rising to as high as 85 per cent in parts of Africa.
She cautioned that delays in initiating nutritional care—especially beyond the first 24 hours—significantly increase the risk of complications and death.
Dr. Lovesley advocated a mandatory “golden hour” framework, recommending that all patients undergo nutritional screening within the first six hours of admission.
She explained that early detection is key to preventing complications such as Sarcopenia, a condition characterised by loss of muscle mass and strength, which can lead to frailty, fractures, and poor recovery outcomes.
She also emphasised the adoption of the Global Leadership Initiative on Malnutrition framework, which enables healthcare teams to identify high-risk patients using indicators such as weight loss, reduced dietary intake, and disease severity.
In her remarks, the President of WASPEN, Teresa Pounds, underscored the need for structured implementation of clinical nutrition systems across Nigeria.
She called on the Federal Government to adopt a coordinated approach to fully operationalise the Nutritional Steering Committee across healthcare facilities.
Dr. Pounds also urged hospital administrators and chief medical directors to prioritise routine nutritional assessments for all patients and establish multidisciplinary nutrition committees to ensure timely screening.
She stressed that nutrition must be recognised as a core component of patient care, noting that stronger institutional commitment is required to effectively address hospital malnutrition.
Experts at the webinar further highlighted the importance of a multidisciplinary approach involving doctors, nurses, and dietitians.
Recommendations included the adoption of protected mealtimes to allow patients eat without interruption and a “food-first” approach that prioritises natural dietary intake before supplementation.
Dr. Lovesley noted that untreated malnutrition can prolong hospital stays by up to three days, while increasing the risk of infections, delayed healing, and mortality—placing additional strain on healthcare systems.
In her closing remarks, Dr. Pounds described clinical nutrition as a critical pillar of public health and called for sustained collaboration among stakeholders.
She also invited healthcare professionals to participate in the upcoming WASPEN conference scheduled for June 22 to 25, 2026, describing it as a key platform for advancing clinical nutrition practice across West Africa.
She reaffirmed that nutritional assessment remains one of the most effective tools for reducing illness and preventing avoidable deaths, while reiterating WASPEN’s commitment to strengthening nutrition-focused healthcare delivery in the region.
Reporting By Niran Odufayo