Health commemorates World Patient Safety Day commemoration, 17 Sept

The Department of Health will today join the global community in commemorating World Patient Safety Day, a global initiative by the World Health Organization (WHO) meant to raise public awareness about critical issues of patient safety in order to prevent and reduce patient harm in healthcare.

Patient safety remains the cornerstone of high-quality health care. According to WHO, around 1 in every 10 patients is harmed in health care and more than 3 million deaths occur annually due to unsafe care globally. Common adverse events that may result in avoidable patient harm include, but are not limited to, medication errors, unsafe surgical procedures, healthcare-associated infections, and diagnostic errors.

Thus, the patient safety awareness campaign emphasizes the need to improve patient safety as a universal health priority by fostering collaboration among patients, families, healthcare workers and leaders to implement safer healthcare practices, which result in improved health outcomes.

This year’s World Patient Safety Day campaign continues to amplify the global call for safer systems, informed communities, and healthcare free from avoidable harm. The campaign is commemorated under the theme “Safe care for every newborn and every child”, which emphasizes the need for stronger measures to protect children from preventable harm in health care. The theme is supported by the slogan “Patient safety from the start!”, which also recognizes the vulnerability of this age group to risks and harm caused by unsafe care.

Every child has the right to safe, quality health care from the very beginning. However, newborns and young children continue to face higher risks due to their rapid development, evolving health needs and different disease patterns.

Strengthening safety in paediatric and newborn care is essential for any country to achieve universal health coverage and the Sustainable Development Goal 3.2 target of ending preventable deaths of newborns and children under the age of five.

It is for this reason that the Department calls on parents, caregivers, health practitioners, healthcare leaders, educators and communities to join hands in action to prevent avoidable harm in paediatric care and to build a safer, healthier future for every child.

The Department, in collaboration with the World Health Organization and the Public Health Association of South Africa (PHASA), will host a webinar as part of the World Patient Safety Day campaign to mobilise stakeholders including healthcare organisations, professional bodies, and civil society to implement sustainable strategies for safer care for newborns and children as part of broader patient safety and quality initiatives.

Some of the topics to be discussed include:

• Patient safety in healthcare facilities
• Healthcare-associated infections in children
• Patient safety in communities and families
• Childhood injuries and trauma

Webinar details

Enquiries:
Mr Foster Mohale
Health Departmental Spokesperson
Cell: 072 432 3792
E-mail: Foster.mohale@health.gov.za

Mr Sello Lediga
Health Ministry Spokesperson
Cell: 082 353 9859
E-mail: Sello.Lediga@health.gov.za

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