17th September - International Patient Safety Day

Ensuring the safety of patients in health care systems around the world is the focus of International Patient Safety Day, held on September 17.

17th September - International Patient Safety Day
Global Patient Safety Day 2019 Theme

Every year, the 17th of September is commemorated as the World Patients Safety Day around the world.

This International Patient Safety Day (IPSD) is a campaign for all stakeholders in the health care system to work together to improve patient safety.

What and why is Patient Safety?

Patient Safety is a health care discipline that emerged with the advancing multifaceted nature in health care systems and the subsequent ascent of patient harm in health care facilities. It intends to forestall and diminish dangers, blunders, and mischief that occur to patients during the provision of health care. A basis of the discipline is constant improvement dependent on learning from mistakes and adverse events.

World Patients Safety Day Theme: Patient Safety: a global health priority

The theme of International Patient Safety Day (IPSD) is “Patient Safety: a global health priority” and the slogan is “Speak up for patient safety.

International Patient Safety Day 2019 Theme Slogan

Patient Safety: a global health priority

On the first-ever World Patient Safety Day on 17 September 2019, WHO will launch a global campaign to create awareness of patient safety and urge individuals to show their responsibility for making the healthcare sector more safer.

About the World Patient Safety Campaign

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 with new ideas to improve patient safety
  • Helping patients to contribute to their own safety

International Patient Safety Day 2019

Objectives of World Patient Safety Day

Global observance of WPSD aims to: 

  • Raise awareness of patient safety issues globally
  • Enhance global understanding of 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 healthcare-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 the 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  

Target audience

  • The general public, patients, families, and communities 
  • Ministries of Health/health authorities
  • Health system leaders and health professionals
  • Hospitals and health care administrators
  • Primary care centers
  • Professional organizations
  • Patient-focused organizations and other related organizations