Austria’s Malnutrition Awareness Week 2025: Raising Awareness of Malnutrition and Sarcopenia

Dates: November 10–14, 2025

As part of Malnutrition Awareness Week 2025, Austria will once again join the European movement to strengthen awareness and action against disease-related malnutrition.

This year’s campaign, led by ONCA Austria in collaboration with the Austrian Society for Clinical Nutrition (AKE), Styrian Hospital Association (KAGes) and the University of Applied Sciences for Health Professions Upper Austria will take place from November 10–14, 2025. The initiative is part of the Optimal Nutritional Care for All (ONCA) campaign coordinated by the European Nutrition for Health Alliance (ENHA).

Objective and Focus

Austria’s 2025 campaign focuses on raising awareness of malnutrition and sarcopenia, particularly among older adults living at home or in nursing homes, as well as patients affected by consumptive diseases.

Objective:
To raise awareness of malnutrition and sarcopenia in older people and in those suffering from consumptive diseases.

Rationale:
Malnutrition and sarcopenia remain underdiagnosed, especially in nursing homes, where there is often a lack of knowledge about identification and intervention.

Key Policy Ask:
To promote self-empowerment and education regarding malnutrition and sarcopenia across all care settings.

Through a week of educational events, discussions, and accessible resources, the Austrian campaign aims to empower both professionals and the public to recognize and address malnutrition early.

Programme Highlights

The Austrian Malnutrition Awareness Week 2025 features a mix of online and educational activities for both professionals and the wider public.
Full programme details can be found here (PDF).

Two Webinars – New Focus on Families and Patients

This year, Austria is offering two informative webinars:

• One for medical and healthcare professionals, focusing on clinical detection, management, and prevention strategies for malnutrition and sarcopenia.

• One for relatives and those affected, offered for the first time, providing practical information on nutrition, physical function, and self-care for older adults and patients with chronic or wasting diseases.

These sessions aim to make nutritional knowledge more accessible to everyone — bridging the gap between medical practice and daily life.

Collaborative Effort: AKE and ONCA Austria

The Austrian Society for Clinical Nutrition (AKE) and ONCA Austria have long been advocates for better nutritional care across clinical and community settings.
Through education, awareness campaigns, and collaboration with healthcare institutions, their efforts are helping to ensure that malnutrition and sarcopenia are recognised as serious, preventable conditions requiring early action and multidisciplinary management.

More details, event updates, and downloadable posters and awareness materials are available on the AKE website.

A Shared European Commitment

Austria’s National Malnutrition Awareness Week 2025 reflects the country’s ongoing commitment to the European-wide goal of Optimal Nutritional Care for All.

By combining scientific expertise with public education and patient empowerment, Austria’s campaign demonstrates how national action contributes to ENHA’s shared vision — a Europe where malnutrition and sarcopenia are recognized, prevented, and managed through awareness, education, and collaboration.

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