Speak up for Patient Safety – World Patient Safety Day
September 17th, 2019 is the first annual World Patient Safety Day — a day dedicated to raising global awareness about patient safety and promoting action. Patient safety, in the simplest terms, is the prevention of harm to patients. While this seems like standard practice, WHO (World Health Organization) reports that “up to 4 out of 10 patients are harmed in primary and ambulatory care settings”. This adds up to 134 million adverse events occurring each year in hospitals worldwide and contributing to 2.6 million deaths. It is estimated that medication errors cost $42 billion worldwide annually.
Disconcerting as these numbers are, these adverse events are preventable with proper education and training. It has also been proven that harmful events can be minimized when healthcare organizations provide clear policies and data to drive safety improvements.
WHO and the UK Government have taken the initiative to establish a Global Patient Safety Collaborative, providing resources to health systems and professionals that will inspire action to improve safety for patients around the world.
Patient safety is a global health priority. MCN Foundation is committed to empowering communities to take control of their health and to establish a vibrant and participatory health care system made up of communities, health workers and governments.
