ENHA calls for quality nutritional care for all ahead of EU election

09 Apr 2024 --- Ahead of the 2024 EU parliamentary elections, set to be held in June, the European Nutrition for Health Alliance (ENHA) has released key recommendations to safeguard the nutritional well-being of EU citizens. To spur EU policymakers to prioritize health, the organization advocates for holistic health goals, integrating them into nutrition guidelines and improving the assessment and treatment of malnutrition.

ENHA represents European associations and patient groups in the field of public health care in translating nutritional care science into policy.

“With mounting pressure on healthcare systems due to rising demands and costs, disparities among EU member states have expanded unacceptably. The EU must, therefore, strive to enhance the health and resilience of its citizens,” states the organization’s newly released manifesto. 

“In this regard, nutrition plays a pivotal role in mitigating biological age acceleration, disease prevention, improving clinical outcomes and enhancing patients’ quality of life, all while saving significant healthcare spending.” 

Malnutrition in the EU 
The document builds upon the 2003 EU Council resolution on food and nutritional care in hospitals, which proposed practical recommendations and urged national authorities to take concrete measures to act in this regard. 

It highlights that more than 20 years since the resolution, 20 million EU citizens remain at risk of malnutrition, including 40% of all hospital patients. This places a considerable burden on patients, caretakers and healthcare systems, with annual costs estimated to amount to €120 billion (US$130 billion). 

In the EU, 20 million people are at risk of malnutrition, including 40% of all hospital patients.Meanwhile, in the US, hospitals are utilizing the Global Malnutrition Composition Score to measure nutrition, including a malnutrition screening for patients aged 65 years and older, facilitating nutrition care plans for the patients. 

Improving nutritional care 
ENHA calls for the prioritization of patient-reported outcomes in health care, addressing holistic needs and goals rather than just treating diseases. This should ensure access to essential information and resources on nutrition and nutritional therapies. The organization emphasizes that patient-centered care falls short when nutritional care is not integrated into treatment plans.

Secondly, the recommendations assert the need to ensure that the upcoming EU strategies on cardiovascular disease, noncommunicable disease and mental health also integrate nutritional health.  

Thirdly, the organization calls for concrete measures to ensure malnutrition is identified through nutrition screening and treated in a timely manner. This will require further support and investment in the creation of a multidisciplinary, multi-stakeholder steering group in each EU member state focused on nutritional care. It should implement key performance indicators within quality assurance systems to monitor adherence to nutritional guidelines.

Another recommendation pertains to the EU’s institutional support for member states in their endeavor to invest in mandatory, continuous nutritional care education and training for all relevant professions. This should include medical students, general practitioners and allied healthcare professionals who follow the expert recommendations of the European Society for Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism and the European Federation of the Associations of Dietitians.

The fifth ENHA recommendation highlights the need to support member states in developing coherent reimbursement policies for nutritional support across EU health and social care systems in order to achieve equitable access. 

Lastly, the organization advises decision-makers to engage in dialogue with multi-stakeholder organizations to support and strengthen their participation in the development, implementation and evaluation of EU and national-level nutritional care policies.

By Milana Nikolova