World Patient Safety Day – established by the World Health Assembly in 2019 – is observed annually on September 17th.

Objectives of the day are to:

• enhance global understanding of patient safety
• increase public engagement in health care safety
• promote global action to prevent and reduce avoidable harm in health care

The Day brings together patients, families, caregivers, communities, health workers, health care leaders and policy-makers to show their commitment to patient safety.

This year’s theme is safety in maternal and newborn care, particularly around the time of childbirth, when most harm occurs.

Did you know that worldwide:

• Approximately 810 women die every day from preventable causes related to pregnancy and childbirth.
• Around 6,700 newborns die every day, amounting to 47% of all under-5 deaths.
• About 2 million babies are stillborn every year, with over 40% occurring during labour (WHO, 2021).

CALL TO ACTION: Advocate best practices at the point of care to prevent avoidable risks and harm to all women and newborns during childbirth.

For more info, visit https://bit.ly/WorldPatientSafetyDay2021