Putting People At The Heart Of Safe Care As Ethiopia Marks World Patient Safety Day

(MENAFN- African Press Organization)
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For a person living with diabetes, hypertension, cancer or chronic kidney disease, health care is rarely a single encounter. It is a journey involving regular consultations, medicines, diagnostic tests, referrals and follow-up, sometimes across several health facilities.

At every step of that journey, safety matters. When communication breaks down, information is incomplete or services are poorly coordinated, risks can accumulate over time.

Putting this human experience at the centre of health care was the focus of Ethiopia's commemoration of World Patient Safety Day 2026, held at Zewditu Memorial Hospital in Addis Ababa under the theme“Safe care for noncommunicable diseases” and the slogan“Safe care for life!”

The national commemoration brought together Ethiopia's Ministry of Health, the World Health Organization (WHO), regional and city health authorities, professional associations, patient representatives and health partners to reflect on practical ways to make health care safer for people living with noncommunicable diseases.

The event highlighted the importance of patient safety as the health system responds to the growing burden of noncommunicable diseases and the need to ensure that people living with chronic conditions receive safe, continuous and well-coordinated care throughout their health journey.

Speaking at the commemoration, Dr Hiwot Solomon, Disease Prevention and Control Lead Executive Officer at the Ministry of Health, highlighted Ethiopia's efforts to strengthen patient safety across health facilities. She underscored the evolution of the country's health sector from a strong focus on expanding access to essential health services towards ensuring that the care people receive is also safe, effective and of consistently high quality.

A key milestone during the commemoration was the official launch of the Electronic Patient Safety Incident Reporting System (ePSIRS), a digital platform designed to strengthen the reporting, documentation and analysis of patient safety incidents. Available in English, Amharic and Afaan Oromo, the platform is designed to support wider accessibility and use across the country, reflecting Ethiopia's growing emphasis on digital solutions to strengthen patient safety and quality of care.

Alongside discussions on policies, systems and innovations, some of the most meaningful moments of the commemoration came from people navigating the health system themselves.

A dedicated patient testimony session brought forward the experiences of people living with hypertension, diabetes, cervical cancer and chronic kidney disease, giving participants an opportunity to hear first-hand about their journeys through diagnosis, treatment and long-term care.

Dr Abas Hassen, Health System Innovation and Quality Lead Executive Officer at the Ministry of Health, highlighted the importance of bringing patients' experiences and perspectives into efforts to improve the safety and quality of health services

Their testimonies served as a reminder that safe care extends beyond what happens during a consultation or medical procedure. For a person managing a chronic condition, safety also means being listened to and involved in decisions about their care, understanding their treatment, receiving clear information and moving safely between different services and levels of the health system. It also means having the continuity and support needed to manage a condition over time.

This people-centred approach is particularly important for noncommunicable diseases, where people may require long-term or lifelong interaction with the health system.

Combining policy discussions with practical action, the commemoration also offered on-site blood pressure and random blood sugar screening, underscoring the importance of early detection and continued monitoring of common noncommunicable diseases.

An exhibition held alongside the event showcased patient safety innovations, e-health applications and point-of-care diagnostic tools from the Ministry of Health and participating partners, demonstrating how innovation and digital technologies can contribute to safer and more responsive health services.

Together, these activities reinforced a central message of World Patient Safety Day: patients and families are active partners in making health care safer. Their knowledge, experiences and participation are essential to designing and delivering health services that respond to their needs.

For people living with chronic conditions, this partnership is particularly important because their health care journeys can span many years and involve multiple health professionals, medicines, diagnostic tests and services.

“Patient safety must be embedded in every aspect of health service delivery, particularly for people living with chronic conditions who depend on continuous care,” said Dr Fahmi Ahmed of WHO Ethiopia, speaking on behalf of Professor Francis Chisaka Kasolo, WHO Representative to Ethiopia, the African Union and the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa.

Dr Fahmi highlighted the importance of ensuring safe, continuous and well-coordinated care as Ethiopia responds to the growing burden of noncommunicable diseases, particularly for people who may interact regularly with different health professionals and services over many years.

He also reaffirmed WHO's commitment to supporting the Ministry of Health and partners to strengthen patient safety and quality-of-care systems across the country. This includes promoting approaches that place patients and families at the centre of care and strengthening systems that enable health workers and health facilities to prevent, identify, report and learn from patient safety incidents.

As Ethiopia continues to strengthen its response to noncommunicable diseases, the message from this year's World Patient Safety Day commemoration was clear: expanding access to health services is essential, but access alone is not enough.

Every consultation, medicine, diagnostic test and referral should contribute to one continuous goal: safe, high-quality and people-centred care throughout a person's life.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of WHO Regional Office for Africa.

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