BAPEN's 'Malnutrition Matters' Campaign Wins Major European Award

Main Category: Nutrition / Diet
Article Date: 16 Sep 2008 - 0:00 PDT

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MNI, the Main Nutrition Industry group of ESPEN (1) has awarded its first ever prize (worth EUR 30,000) for fighting malnutrition to the UK's BAPEN (British Association for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition http://www.bapen.org.uk)

Professor Marinos Elia, Chair of BAPEN, accepting the award at the ESPEN Conference (Florence, 15 September 2008) said:

"I am delighted to accept this significant award on behalf of BAPEN. This recognises the excellent work of many BAPEN members across the UK who have worked hard to deliver this result.

"BAPEN's long-term, multi-initiative 'Malnutrition Matters' campaign to bring this issue to the top of the agenda with politicians, professionals, patients, the press and the public has helped create a 'tipping point' in the UK and within the EC. There is now formal recognition that malnutrition is a major public health issue for people of all ages, in the community as well as in care and hospital settings across Europe as well as in the UK.

"The impact of malnutrition on the individual is significant, well-documented and increasingly recognised. The impact on healthcare budgets is immense - £7.3 billion - more than obesity.

Professor Elia concluded "Malnutrition must no longer go unrecognised and untreated. This financial award, coupled with our long-term commitment and enthusiasm, will support BAPEN's efforts to continue to raise awareness of and fight malnutrition across all ages, populations and settings."

Flemming Morgan of ESPEN's MNI (and President of Danone Medical Nutrition Division) on awarding the prize to BAPEN said:

"BAPEN's programme of work to fight malnutrition is the only programme, measured against the criteria set for this award, to have not only established the prevalence and the clinical impact of malnutrition but also its economic cost to health care systems. BAPEN has taken a strong lead in fighting malnutrition by providing practical solutions to this major clinical and public health problem and richly deserves this award."

BAPEN's effective work within the UK include its national Nutrition Screening Week, measuring the prevalence of malnutrition on admission to health and care settings, its healthcare economic report detailing the financial impact on national and local budgets, and the 'MUST' a screening tool and flow chart for easy use across all settings to identify those at risk of malnutrition.

BAPEN's 2008 'Malnutrition Matters' Conference (Harrogate 4/5 November) will present new evidence on screening, impact and management of malnutrition.

Notes

1. ESPEN is the European Society for Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism - http://www.espenblog.com
2. For more information on BAPEN 2008 (Harrogate, 4/5 November) please see http://www.espenblog.com

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