English
EspañolAnnouncing World Patient Safety Day 2021
Theme: Safe maternal and newborn care
With the world still facing the COVID-19 pandemic and the inequities that surfaced as a result, the most vulnerable and marginalized populations are being disproportionately affected not only due to the direct effects of the pandemic and lack of access to vaccines, but also due to the disruption of the most essential health services.
Unfortunately, women and newborns, are amongst these groups. Even before the pandemic, approximately 810 women and 7000 newborns died daily, with the causes occurring mainly around the time of childbirth. About 2 million babies were also stillborn every year, with over 40% occurring during labour. Most of these deaths and stillbirths are avoidable through the provision of safe and quality care by skilled health care professionals working in supportive environments.
In response, the theme selected for World Patient Safety Day 2021 is “Safe maternal and newborn care”. Since maternity care is also affected by issues of gender equity and violence, women’s experiences during childbirth have the potential to either empower or to inflict damage and emotional trauma on them. Therefore, this year’s campaign slogan – “Act now for safe and respectful childbirth!” – calls on all stakeholders to accelerate the actions necessary for ensuring safe and respectful childbirth. Collectively, we can make maternal and newborn safety a global health priority, and we call upon your full cooperation to fulfil this endeavour.
About the campaign
The World Patient Safety Day (WPSD) is an official WHO campaign for all stakeholders in the health care system to work together to improve patient safety. Its a recognition of the scale of avoidable harm linked with medical errors. Established by the World Health Assembly in 2019 through resolution WHA72.6 on “Global action on patient safety” – It is is observed annually on 17 September with the objective of enhancing global understanding of patient safety, increase public engagement in health care safety, and promote global action to prevent and reduce avoidable harm in health care. Each year, a new theme is selected to shed light on a priority patient safety area where action is needed to reduce avoidable harm in health care and achieve universal health coverage.
It’s also a global commitment made by all WHO member states to recognize patient safety as a key health priority and agreeing to take action to reduce patient harm in health care settings.
It is all about getting global healthcare actors involved in:
- Scaling up concerted global action on patient safety
- Putting measures in place to reduce avoidable patient harm
- Sharing awareness in patient safety in care settings
- Raising awareness amongst the public and media on key issues relating to patient safety
- Experimenting new ideas to improve patient safety
- Helping patients to contribute to their own safety
Background
Why WHO established a World Patient Safety Day
Objectives of World Patient Safety Day
- Raise awareness of patient safety issues globally
- Enhance global understanding on the central role of patient safety in achieving Universal Health Coverage and Sustainable Development Goals
- Encourage development of systems and procedures for the elimination of all avoidable health care related harm to patients, and management of risks in health care
- Encourage governments to commit to and support the implementation of strategies for ensuring patient safety, managing risks and fostering supportive, learning cultures
- Strengthen collaboration and partnerships at global, regional, national and local levels for implementing patient safety strategies and for improving safety of health care
- Highlight specific patient safety themes such as Medication Safety, Education and Training in Patient Safety, Reporting and learning systems, Patient Engagement
