France’s Malnutrition Awareness Week 2025: Strengthening Nutritional Care Across Settings
Dates: November 17–23, 2025
National Partners: French ONCA, national health institutions, Gérontopôles, Ministry of Health
Theme: Raising awareness and promoting action on malnutrition and nutritional diseases
More information: Lutte Contre La Denutrition – Le Collectif
Overview
As part of European Malnutrition Awareness Week (MAW 2025), France will dedicate November 17–23 to tackling malnutrition and other nutritional diseases, such as obesity and diabetes. The campaign, coordinated by French ONCA and national partners, aims to strengthen legislative initiatives, promote awareness among professionals, and improve patient care across hospitals, community, and home settings.
This week highlights the importance of early detection, systematic monitoring, and multidisciplinary interventions to prevent and treat malnutrition, particularly in older adults and vulnerable populations.
National Policy Objectives
France’s MAW 2025 focuses on two complementary policy goals:
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Legislative action to strengthen the fight against nutritional diseases (obesity, diabetes, malnutrition).
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Drafting a dedicated bill on malnutrition in hospitals, aiming to:
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Provide necessary resources and support for detection and care in hospitals and healthcare facilities.
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Officially recognize malnutrition as a medical condition.
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Rationale:
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Nutritional diseases are modifiable through diet and physical activity.
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Malnutrition remains widely underestimated in hospitals, preventing effective treatment and prevention.
Key Policy Ask:
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Ensure reimbursement for adapted physical activity by the French Social Security System.
National Initiatives
France’s MAW 2025 includes three major initiatives:
1. Completing Missing Data on Malnutrition
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Large-scale study on risk of malnutrition in people over 70 living at home and receiving care from home health professionals.
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Collaboration with the National Health Insurance Fund (Caisse d’Assurance Maladie) to measure reimbursed prescriptions for oral nutritional supplements (ONS) in the community (~1.3 million).
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Channels: Regional aging and independence support structures (Gérontopôles).
2. Extending MAW Reach to Other Medical Fields
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Focus areas: Chronic organ failure, mental health (France’s national cause for 2025), and primary care professionals.
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Channels: Online communications, partnerships, webinars, printed tools.
3. Raise awareness among the general public
- In 2025, Le Collectif seeks to improve its reach to the general public by designing and proving specific tools to primary care professionals such as general practitioners and pharmacists. Examples of tools :
- Action Guide for Territorial Professional Health Communities (TPHC).
- Helping guide to prescribing oral nutritional supplements for general practitioners.
- Helping guide to prescribing oral nutritional supplements for pharmacists.
Planned Activities
France’s MAW 2025 combines professional engagement, public outreach, and policy advocacy:
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Presentation event at the Ministry of Health: Showcase MAW and formalize partnerships in the presence of political figures.
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Institutional event at the National Academy of Medicine in Paris: Book promotion and symposium on malnutrition.
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Renewal of “Cuisines Ouvertes” initiative: National cooking competition promoting institutional catering in nursing homes.
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Renewal of “Petits pas, grandes victoires” initiative: Nationwide promotion of adapted physical activity.
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Thematic webinar program: A dozen webinars with leading professionals covering malnutrition in mental health, oncology, and other specialties.
Engagement and Communication
The campaign will be promoted through:
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Institutional channels: Ministry of Health, Gérontopôles, hospitals, and primary care networks.
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Online communication: Webinars, social media campaigns, newsletters.
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Printed tools and educational materials for healthcare professionals.
Social Media Channels:
Suggested Hashtags:
#MAW2025 #MalnutritionAwarenessWeek #FranceMAW2025 #ONCAFrance
France’s MAW 2025 demonstrates how legislative, clinical, and public awareness actions can be integrated to advance nutritional care and prevention of malnutrition nationwide.
