The 1st Hungarian ONCA Multi-stakeholder Workshop was held on 31 March 2025
The event served as a prominent professional forum for discussing the issue of disease associated malnutrition. The event was organised by the Hungarian members of the ONCA Hungarian Working Group: the Hungarian Society for Clinical Nutrition, the Hungarian Dietetic Association, the Hungarian Association of Patient Organisations and the Hungarian Society of Nutrition Sciences.
Hungary joined the ONCA campaign in October 2023 and the first national workshop has now taken place in March 2025. During the presentations and roundtable discussions of the scientific programme, renowned national and international experts shared their experiences on the health, economic and social impacts of malnutrition.
One of the highlights of the event was the presentation of Dr. Péter Sahin, President of the Hungarian Society for Clinical Nutrition, in which he presented the concept, clinical significance and prevalence of malnutrition. Dr. Andrea Molnár, member of the Scientific Committee of the Hungarian Dietetic Association, spoke about the national economic aspects of malnutrition. Dr. Péter Tamási, Member of the Board of the Hungarian Society of Clinical Nutrition, analysed current practices and future possibilities of screening for malnutrition, while Dr. Erzsébet Pálfi, Chair of the Scientific
Committee of the Hungarian Dietetic Association, explained the role of the various stakeholders – doctors, dietitians and patients – in the management of malnutrition.
International experiences were presented by Antonella Lezzo (Italy) and Joost Wesseling, Executive Director of the ONCA International Network, who detailed the objectives of the Optimal Nutritional Care initiative and the importance of international cooperation.
The day concluded with a multidisciplinary round table discussion with doctors, dieticians and patient organisations sharing their views on ways to fight malnutrition. The workshop clearly showed that effective action against malnutrition requires close cooperation between health professionals, researchers, patient organisations and policy makers. The decision makers were represented by an expert from the State Secretariat for Health of the Federal Ministry of Health. The organisers are confident that the event is a good first step towards the development of a coherent national nutrition strategy, which could have a significant impact on the long-term health care and health of the population in the country. Press campaign of the event reached out to nearly 700.000 people and generated 4,8 million HUF PR value.
The official launch
A moment of celebration followed with the official launch of the Hungarian ONCA Alliance, led by Tünde Koltai, ENHA Board member. This launch stands as a testament to the dedication and determination of all those involved, representing a transformative step forward in advancing nutritional care in Hungary.
The launch was followed by a thought-provoking panel discussion featuring representatives from the Hungarian Dietetic Association, the Hungarian Society of Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition, patients, and government officials. Their insightful discussions and key takeaway messages provide a roadmap for the future of nutritional care in Hungary.
“It is very important that we represent the interests and voice of patients in ONCA and in similar national and international cooperation, because even the most ambitious professional objectives will only be successful with the involvement, education and information of the stakeholders”
The Optimal Nutritional Care for All (ONCA) campaign
The Optimal Nutritional Care for All (ONCA) campaign, launched in 2014, aims to improve nutritional care and screening for disease-related malnutrition/undernutrition across Europe by translating nutrition science into policy and practice. The campaign supports national professional societies, associations, and patient groups in implementing nutritional risk screening and optimal nutritional care in their countries. The European Nutrition for Health Alliance (ENHA) coordinates the initiative through a Steering Committee comprising representatives from the alliance.
The campaign was initiated to translate political support into action at the national level after gaining support from the European Parliament and other stakeholders. ENHA has collaborated with various countries since 2011 to improve nutritional care, and currently, twenty countries participate in the ONCA campaign.
The objectives of the campaign are to:
- Implement optimal nutritional care for all;
- Strengthen national alliances;
- Benchmark existing nutritional care programs;
- Support the implementation of the ONCA strategy and tailored activities in each country;
- Share good practices for campaigning for optimal nutritional care;
- Measure progress and impact;
- Align with key stakeholders and international organizations such as the EU and WHO EURO.
The ONCA campaign encourages collaborative efforts to combat malnutrition in Europe and engages in responding to calls for action.
