By danivert,Doris Obinna
Copyright thesun
By Doris Obinna
As African health leaders commemorate World Patient Safety Day 2025, today, September 17, with an urgent appeal to strengthen child healthcare, officials stressed that children are among the most vulnerable patients and called for safer treatment practices, better training for health workers, and stronger health systems to prevent avoidable harm.
World Health Organisation (WHO) Regional Director for Africa, Dr Mohamed Janabi, in his message urged governments, health workers, and communities to place safety at the centre of care, describing it as both a professional duty and a moral responsibility.
This year’s theme, “Safe care for every newborn and every child,” with the slogan “Patient safety from the start!” Janabi highlighted the urgent need to strengthen paediatric and maternal care.
Janabi noted that poor quality care not lack of access is responsible for an estimated 60 percent of maternal deaths and 56 percent of neonatal deaths in low- and middle-income countries. “These are lives we can and must save,” he said.
While progress has been made, with 21 African countries already implementing National Quality Policies and Strategies, Janabi stressed that more must be done. Interventions such as infection prevention and control, alongside WHO-endorsed standards, are already improving outcomes, but he urged a stronger, collective push.
The Global Patient Safety Action Plan 2021–2030 provides the blueprint for change, calling for safer clinical processes, better workforce training, and meaningful engagement of patients and families. It also includes education for school-aged children, empowering them to advocate for their own health and safety.
WHO urged Member States to increase national awareness of risks in newborn and child care, mobilize health managers and civil society to adopt sustainable safety strategies, empower caregivers through education, and invest in research and innovation to support safer care practices.
“The vision is a world in which no patient is harmed in health care, and everyone receives safe care, every time, everywhere,” Janabi reaffirmed. He called for unity across the continent, stressing that protecting children from harm at the very start of life is essential to building healthier futures for Africa.
