World Patient Safety Day

Patient harm is often caused by adverse events and it stands as one of the leading causes of patient mortality and morbidity all over the world.

Many of these deaths due to adverse events are preventable with improved education and care.

With the purpose of increasing local and global awareness about the risks and impact that unsafe practices have on people, World Patient Safety Day is here!

History of World Patient Safety Day

Getting its start in 2019, World Patient Safety Day was adopted through the World Health Organization (WHO) through their 72nd World Health Assembly that year with the resolution titled ‘Global Action on Patient Safety’.

Major national and international stakeholders have all been involved in promoting and advocating for patient safety through this importnat annual event.

Each year, the organizers of this event promote a different theme to shed light on specific details that deserve to be featured. Past events have included themes such as:

• Improving Diagnosis for Patient Safety (2024)
• Engaging Patients for Patient Safety (2023)
• Safe and Respectful Maternal and Newborn Care (2021)
• Health Worker Safety: A Priority for Patient Safety (2020)

How to Celebrate World Patient Safety Day

Consider some of the following ideas for getting involved with various activities and events in honor of World Patient Safety Day:

Light Up Landmarks for Patient Safety

Many landmarks, iconic buildings, and public places will light up their buildings in orange lights in celebration of World Patient Safety Day.

This can include medical offices, health care facilities and hospitals, as well as insurance companies, pharmaceutical companies or even local businesses and charities that want to show support and raise awareness for patient safety.

Advocate for Patient Safety

Hospital workers, social workers, health care professionals and concerned citizens can all participate in World Patient Safety Day by raising awareness in their local communities. Promoting the day on social media is also a great way to get more people involved.

Attend Patient Safety Seminars and Events

Those who work in the medical and health care industries might celebrate World Patient Safety Day by attending educational seminars or instructional events that promote better awareness about how to make all patients more safe.

Learn more about the different topics that impact patient saftey, including timely diagnosis, appropriate medication, clear instructions, proper hygiene protocols and much more.

Register World Patient Safety Day Events

Organizations, educational institutions and others who are hosting events for World Patient Safety Day can make sure their activites can be found locally and worldwide by registering their events at the official website on Patient Safety Day.

The World Health Organization, in cooperation with the German Federal Ministry of Health, sponsors the website and allows cooperating organizations to list their events and display their logos.

Consider and Discuss Patient Safety Topics

Those who run or work in medical care facilities can celebrate World Patient Safety Day by consdiering and discussing important topics in the workplace related to patient saftey, starting with some of these:

• Trust and communication between doctors and patients
• Health issues caused by racial disparities
• Prevention of hospital acquired infections and other harm
• Improvement of ratios for doctors to population

A related event for Days of the Year that takes place in March is Patient Safety Awareness Week!