Mrs. Ladidi K. Bako-Aiyegbusi, the Director and Head of the Nutrition Department at the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare in Nigeria, made a compelling case for integrating clinical nutrition care into healthcare systems across the country.
She shed light on this during her address at the second webinar session of the West African Society of Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition (WASPEN) 2nd Annual Malnutrition Awareness Week on September 11, 2025. She emphasized that malnutrition is not merely a statistic but a pressing reality impacting the lives of countless individuals, particularly children and mothers.
“Malnutrition is a child too weak to play, a mother too tired to care, and a patient who should have recovered but did not,” Mrs. Bako-Aiyegbusi stated. “It is a silent cause of preventable deaths that steals lives every single day and leads to poor treatment outcomes.” She underscored the need for a paradigm shift in how malnutrition is approached, highlighting that while discussions around nutrition often focus on community challenges and hunger, malnutrition should be regarded as a critical clinical challenge in health facilities.
She pointed out that malnutrition remains a silent yet devastating emergency in Nigeria, affecting maternal health, child development, and exacerbating both communicable and non-communicable diseases. “The provision of health services in Nigeria operates at three levels: primary, secondary, and tertiary. At each level, we see cases where patients improve significantly when nutritional care is incorporated into their treatment plans,” she explained.
Mrs. Bako-Aiyegbusi revealed that the Federal Government of Nigeria has recognized nutrition as a life-saving intervention that must be integrated across all levels of care. “To reduce preventable deaths, shorten hospital stays, and improve treatment outcomes, nutrition must evolve from project-based interventions to system-wide institutionalized clinical nutrition practices, not only in Nigeria but globally,” she said.
At the primary level, the government is integrating routine nutrition screening and counseling into every healthcare consultation. Community health workers are being trained to identify malnutrition early and refer patients appropriately for further treatment. Nutrition services are also being incorporated into various healthcare offerings, including immunization, antenatal care, and family planning.
At the secondary level, the establishment of nutrition units in general hospitals, supported by multidisciplinary teams of nutritionists, dietitians, doctors, and nurses, is being prioritized. "We are standardizing nutrition protocols to ensure uniformity in malnutrition care," Mrs. Bako-Aiyegbusi shared. The linkages between primary healthcare centers and general hospitals are being strengthened to ensure that no malnutrition case goes undetected.
At the tertiary level, the government aims to establish strong clinical nutrition departments in teaching hospitals, emphasizing the importance of dietary training and local research to inform national policies. Nutrition assessments for all inpatients are being made mandatory, and opportunities for structured training within these institutions are being created to enable future healthcare providers to view nutrition as fundamental to healing.
"In Nigeria, we are committed to moving away from fragmented interventions toward a resilient nutrition-centered healthcare system. Nutrition is not a side dish; it is the main course of healthcare," she stated passionately. Mrs. Bako-Aiyegbusi also highlighted the government's collaboration with WASPEN, saying, “We are ensuring that no stones are left unturned in our commitment to end malnutrition as an invisible killer, securing a healthier and more productive future for our nation.”
Concluding her address, she reiterated that the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare is dedicated to working with WASPEN and other partners to institutionalize clinical nutrition across all facets of care, asserting, "Nutritional care should be a right, not a priviledge, for every Nigerian."
Mrs. Bako-Aiyegbusi's insightful remarks resonate with the urgent call for change in how nutrition is viewed and integrated within healthcare systems, highlighting the crucial role that collaborative efforts and policy advocacy will play in combatting malnutrition in Nigeria.
