WASPEN 2023: Good Nutrition is our Fundamental Human Right - Dr Teresa Pounds

The 2Day conference, 20th and 21st June, 2023, of the West African Society of Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition (WASPEN) holding at NECA House Event Centre, Alausa, Ikeja, Lagos, has started on a good note.

The Clinical Nutrition Conference tagged "Innovative Nutrition Care in Resource Limited Settings" is billed to provide exclusive platform for healthcare stakeholders to meet to share latest nutritional information and challenges in nutrition.

Speaking with CEOAfrica, the Founder/CEO of WASPEN, Dr Teresa Pounds said the rationale for the event is to avail participants information about malnutrition and the know how to screening patients and making appropriate recommendations; and be informed about other different initiative of care. Excited about the event, she Stated, "this is a big day for Nigeria and of course Africa because through WASPEN we have the opportunity to tell that we care about malnutrition and how it affects the people. Malnutrition is real and nutrition is human rights."

For her expectations for the event, Dr Pounds said WASPEN expects all healthy personnel to be champion of nutrition support in their various fields. She also expects Nigeria to take the lead in Africa to push good nutrition support for all.

At the event, the President, Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria, Prof Cyril Odianose Usifoh, ably represented by Deputy President South, Dr Egbuna Udeorah; expressed his joy and gratitude to WASPEN for the great initiative which he said calls for attention and support of everybody as it is beneficial to all. Prof Usifoh asserted that there is no better time to discuss nutrition issues than now. He specifically congratulates the organizers of the Clinical Nutrition Conference which he assured of PSN support.

The chairman of the conference, Prince Julius Adelusi - Adeluyi, President of the Nigeria Academy of Pharmacy was warm hearted about the event which he described as necessary and timely. He congratulates WASPEN and the management team for the laudable project which he said will help much for human nutrition.

The chairman asserted that nutrition is key to human existence and should therefore not be taken for granted. He urged participants to ensure good nutritional value of food at all times for healthy living. "If you don't make food your medicine, medicine would be your food. You are simply what you eat," he cautioned.

While assuring WASPEN of support, Prince Adelusi pleaded with healthcare workers for professional collaboration on this novel initiative with the new slogan: "everyone has the right to good nutrition."

The Keynote speaker of the day, Mrs Clare Omotseye, President of the West Africa Private Healthcare Federation was apt on the imperative need for strong advocacy for good nutrition. She impressed on the need to fight malnutrition and poverty as they bring misery to mankind.

While calling on all to share the beautiful initiative of WASPEN to make the desired difference, she urged healthcare givers to do more on healthcare than sickcare.

The local organizing committee chairperson of the conference, Dnt Wright Olabisi assured of adequate preparation put in place to make the 2day event a huge success so that the various community represented would go and impact their wards.

Dignitaries present at the conference include Dr Obi Adigwe, CEO/DG of the Institute of Pharmaceutical Research and Development (NIPRD); Dr Leo Egbujiobi, MD Cardiology Specialist in Beloit; representing the Pharmaceutical Council of Nigeria, President of the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria represented by Deputy President South, Dr Egbuna Udeorah; Richard Longe, representative of New Age International, South Africa; Prof I.A Oreagba of WAPCA; Dr Jacob Nwanchukwu, President, Blood Pressure Control Foundation; Dipo Olabowale, presenting Dr Abike Dabiri.

The West African Society of Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition (WASPEN) was founded in 2019 by Dr Teresa Pounds as a regionally-focused organization committed to the improvement of clinical nutritional care in West Africa.