Dr. Teresa Isichei Pounds, President and Founder of the West African Society of Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition (WASPEN), has emerged as a visionary voice in the battle against malnutrition in hospitals and healthcare facilities across Nigeria and the wider West African region.
Since founding WASPEN in 2019, Dr. Pounds has dedicated herself to raising awareness about the silent but deadly crisis of hospital malnutrition, championing evidence-based clinical nutrition care and advocating for systemic reforms to save lives and improve patient outcomes.
WASPEN is a regionally-focused organisation committed to enhancing clinical nutritional care and addressing the needs of patients who require specialised nutritional support as part of their treatment plans.
According to Dr. Pounds, malnutrition in hospitals remains a largely overlooked yet pervasive issue, with research suggesting that between 30% and 45% of patients admitted to tertiary hospitals in Nigeria may be malnourished, particularly among surgical, paediatric, and oncology patients. She has warned that malnutrition contributes to delayed recovery, increased infections, prolonged hospital stays, and preventable deaths, yet it often goes unrecognised and under-treated in clinical settings.
“Hospital malnutrition is a silent epidemic that continues to undermine recovery, escalate healthcare costs, and worsen mortality, yet it remains poorly recognised and inadequately addressed,” Dr. Pounds said.
Under her leadership, WASPEN has consistently urged both federal and state authorities to prioritise clinical nutrition as a core element of healthcare delivery, advocating for standardized nutrition screening protocols and the establishment of multidisciplinary hospital nutrition committees to identify and manage malnutrition early.
In 2025, Dr. Pounds called on the Federal Government to establish a national task force on hospital malnutrition, emphasising the need for coordinated actions involving health professionals, policymakers, and nutrition specialists to close gaps in patient care. She stressed that the disconnect between hospital and community nutrition care must be bridged if health systems are to improve outcomes for vulnerable patients of all ages.
Beyond advocacy, WASPEN under Dr. Pounds has paved the way for Malnutrition Awareness Week campaigns, expert webinars, institution-specific activities and partnerships designed to build capacity among healthcare workers, educate caregivers, and generate evidence that can drive policy change. The initiative has expanded participation across Nigeria and into other West African countries, bringing attention to the region’s nutritional challenges and fostering collaboration with international partners.
Dr. Pounds’ approach highlights that malnutrition is not just a community health issue but a critical clinical concern that affects outcomes in surgery, chronic disease management, paediatric care, and elderly care alike. She has repeatedly emphasised that clinical nutrition should be integrated into mainstream healthcare practice rather than treated as an afterthought.
Her work has also drawn local support, including endorsements from prominent figures such as His Royal Majesty, Prof. Epiphany Chigbogu Azinge, SAN, Asagba of Asaba, who commended WASPEN’s efforts in Asaba in late 2025 and encouraged continued partnership across government and healthcare sectors to strengthen patient nutrition support systems.
As the 2026 WASPEN 5th Annual Clinical Nutrition Conference approaches, Dr. Pounds’ leadership continues to shape dialogue around clinical nutrition policy and practice. The conference which will bring together healthcare professionals, policymakers, researchers, and industry stakeholders is expected to further drive collaborative strategies aimed at reducing malnutrition and improving quality of care across hospitals and communities.
Her tireless advocacy underscores a clear message: nutrition is not a privilege but a fundamental component of healthcare, essential for healing, dignity, and survival.
