Nigeria hospital malnutrition worsens, experts urge 'golden hour' screening
Experts at a webinar hosted by the West African Society for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition (WASPEN) and its Indian counterpart warned that malnutrition in African hospitals is worsening, with at least 11 hospitalized patients going undiagnosed every 60 seconds. They said up to two-thirds of patients are already malnourished on admission, rising to 85 per cent in parts of Africa, and that delaying nutritional care beyond the first 24 hours significantly raises the risk of complications and death. The specialists called for an urgent overhaul of hospital nutrition protocols, urging facilities to adopt a mandatory 'golden hour' approach that screens all patients for malnutrition within six hours of admission, aligned with the Global Leadership Initiative on Malnutrition (GLIM) framework. In Nigeria, WASPEN President Teresa Pounds said the country must move beyond policy talks to fully implement structured clinical nutrition systems, including operationalising the Nutritional Steering Committee across hospitals and establishing multidisciplinary teams to ensure timely assessments. Untreated malnutrition can prolong hospital stays by two to three days, increase vulnerability to infections, delay wound healing and raise mortality, while also straining health‑system resources. The experts recommended practical steps such as protected mealtimes and a 'food-first' strategy that prioritises natural diets before supplements, and urged health‑workers to join the upcoming WASPEN conference from 22‑25 June to advance practice. Will hospitals act fast enough to screen every patient within six hours, or will delayed nutrition continue to fuel a silent but deadly crisis?