Geneva (GNP): The World Health Organization (WHO) will mark World Patient Safety Day on September 17, 2026, with a global focus on improving the safety of care for people living with noncommunicable diseases (NCDs).
This year’s theme is “Safe care for noncommunicable diseases”, under the campaign slogan “Safe care for life!”.
The campaign highlights the need to reduce avoidable harm throughout the entire healthcare journey, from prevention and early detection to diagnosis, treatment, long-term management and self-care.
Noncommunicable diseases include conditions such as heart disease, stroke, diabetes, cancer and chronic respiratory diseases.
These conditions often require patients to interact with healthcare systems repeatedly and over long periods.
According to WHO, this continued interaction can create multiple opportunities for safety risks to arise. WHO reports that one in 10 patients globally experiences harm during healthcare, with around half of this harm considered preventable.
For people living with NCDs, the risks can increase because of complex treatment plans, repeated medical appointments and the need for long-term medication and monitoring.
Risks Across the Healthcare Journey
The 2026 campaign draws attention to several common sources of avoidable harm. These include missed prevention, delayed or incorrect diagnosis, medication errors, healthcare-associated infections, unsafe use of medical devices and poor communication or coordination.
For people living with chronic diseases, these risks can occur at different stages of care. A delayed diagnosis can affect treatment options, while medication errors or poor communication between healthcare providers can create additional risks.
WHO emphasizes that patient safety should not be limited to hospitals. Safe care must also extend to primary healthcare facilities, homes and communities, where many people manage long-term conditions on a daily basis.
Patients as Partners in Safe Care
A central message of this year’s campaign is that people living with NCDs should be treated as partners in their own care.
WHO is encouraging meaningful engagement of patients and communities in identifying safety risks and developing solutions alongside healthcare professionals, policymakers and health organizations.
The organization also emphasizes the importance of strengthening primary healthcare systems and supporting health workers.
Better coordination between different healthcare providers can help reduce gaps in treatment and improve continuity of care.
WHO has identified several objectives for World Patient Safety Day 2026. These include raising awareness of patient safety challenges associated with NCDs, encouraging governments to integrate safety principles into health policies and programmes, and supporting health workers in areas such as safer diagnosis, medication safety and patient engagement.
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Global Action on September 17Activities will take place around the world on and around September 17, including awareness campaigns, policy discussions, technical events and community initiatives. WHO is also encouraging landmarks and public spaces to be illuminated in orange as a symbol of global solidarity for safer healthcare.
The campaign comes as noncommunicable diseases remain a major global health challenge. WHO states that NCDs account for approximately 74% of deaths worldwide, underlining the importance of safe and accessible long-term care.
World Patient Safety Day 2026 therefore places patient safety within the wider effort to improve the quality and continuity of healthcare.
By strengthening health systems, supporting healthcare workers and involving people living with NCDs in decisions about their care, the campaign seeks to reduce avoidable harm and promote safer care throughout people’s lives.
