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This week the World Health Organization (WHO) launched a new global strategy and campaign for injection safety.
The new strategy updates WHO policy and promotes safer injection practices through the use of safety devices and modification to design, training of healthcare workers and ensuring best practice handling, use and disposal of injection devices.
The Patients for Patient Safety (PFPS) initiative at WHO leads on engaging patient champions and communities worldwide, and IAPO will be working with them to ensure patients are involved in the implementation of the strategy.
Nittita Prasopa-Plaizier, from PFPS, invited IAPO to join the launch and strategy implementation discussions and said:
‘This is a major policy of our department and we will work with our colleagues on efforts to engage patients and their communities to promote rational use of injections. Your contribution as an umbrella for patients’ organizations will be very important.'
Involvement from across the globe
IAPO member and former Governing Board member Regina Kamoga spoke at the launch about the work of CHAIN Uganda to engage and empower patients and communities. Representatives from Pakistan, Nigeria and the United States were among speakers advocating strongly for the crucial role of building patient and community knowledge, awareness and involvement when improving use of injections in order to decrease not only needle stick injuries to healthcare workers, but the risks to health and life of unsafe practices and overuse of injected medicines.
The global strategy emphasizes the benefits of high quality and accurate patient information alongside education and training of healthcare workers. Just as when tracking antimicrobial resistance, patients and communities are part of the solution, so need to be consistently involved and informed.
We’ll feature more on the campaign in upcoming newsletters, including opportunities for IAPO members to get involved.
