World Patient Safety Day: WPSD Date, History, Theme, Objectives

World Patient Safety Day (WPSD) is observed annually on 17 September, as established by the World Health Assembly resolution WHA72.6. It serves as a global call to action, uniting patients, families, health workers, policymakers, and civil society to advance patient safety worldwide.

World Patient Safety Day: Date

The 2025 campaign focuses on safeguarding our youngest patients, newborns and children by ensuring that safety is prioritized right from the start of life. This year’s theme, “Safe care for every newborn and every child”, recognizes the urgent need to eliminate preventable harm in paediatric and neonatal health care settings.

History:

The first World Patient Safety Day was established in May 2019 at the 72nd World Health Assembly (the governing body of WHO) through a resolution on enhancing patient safety worldwide. This was the continuation of a major campaign since 2016 involving ministers and health departments of various countries.

Theme:

Newborns and children face disproportionately high risks of harm in health care, especially in intensive care units, surgical settings, and during medication administration. Research shows that up to 97% of adverse events in neonatal care are preventable, and many such harms stem from unsafe childbirth, infections, diagnostic delays, and medication errors. Studies report rates of adverse events as high as 91.6% in paediatric intensive care settings and up to 53.8% in general care settings.

By prioritizing child-centred safety, we can save lives and strengthen lifelong health outcomes. The 2025 campaign calls for stronger clinical safety standards, better training for health workers, and more effective systems for reporting, learning, and family engagement.

Objectives of WPSD

• Raise global awareness of the safety challenges in paediatric and newborn care.
• Mobilize stakeholders to implement policies, training, and systems that reduce preventable harm to children.
• Empower families and children to participate actively in health care decisions and safety education.
• Promote research and innovation in child and newborn safety practices, especially in high-risk settings.

Facts on World Patient Safety Day and Medication Harm to Patients

• One in twenty patients availing medical services are likely to be impacted by avoidable medication harm, and one out of four patients can get affected by life-threatening ailments.
• Medication harm is the leading cause of avoidable harm, it accounts for nearly 50% of overall avoidable harm in medical care.
• The highest rate of medication harm occurs in elderly patients followed by intensive care unit and emergency medicine
• Medication error can happen while prescribing, administering and monitoring medicines to patients
• Medication harm can be curbed and avoided by employing skilled health professional who are well-trained on prescription, administration and monitoring standards, with proper coordination among the clinical team, and by educating the side effects of the medication and proper way of consumption of medication to the patients.