WHO regional survey finds uneven progress on patient safety as Africa’s NCD

A new World Health Organization (WHO) regional survey assessing progress on patient safety across the African Region finds uneven results, as countries work to meet the needs of a growing number of people living with noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) and provide them with safe, continuous care.

The WHO 2025/26 regional patient safety survey, which included 44 of the Region's 47 countries, found uneven progress in implementing the Global Patient Safety Action Plan 2021-2030. Clinical processes emerged as the strongest area assessed, while information and learning systems showed the largest gap. Health workforce capacity, patient and family engagement, and partnerships also require further strengthening.

The findings come as WHO marks World Patient Safety Day on 17 September under the theme "Safe care for noncommunicable diseases" and the slogan "Safe care for life!", calling for greater action to protect people from avoidable harm throughout their care journey.

NCDs accounted for 37% of all deaths in the WHO African Region in 2019, up from 24% in 2000. Nearly two-thirds of NCD deaths in the Region are premature.

For people living with diabetes, cancer, cardiovascular disease, chronic respiratory conditions and other NCDs, health care can involve years of consultations, tests, medicines, referrals and treatment. This repeated interaction with health services can expose patients to risks including delayed or missed diagnoses, medication errors, adverse drug interactions, inadequate follow-up and poor communication when moving between services.

"Every person should be protected from avoidable harm throughout their health journey. Together, we can build safer health services that earn and sustain the trust of the people they serve" said Dr Mohamed Janabi, WHO Regional Director for Africa.

The regional assessment points to areas where accelerated action could make a significant difference. These include strengthening systems for reporting and learning from patient safety incidents, building health worker competencies and safety culture, and expanding national and regional partnerships for patient safety.

Strengthening primary health care is also critical. Well-coordinated primary health care can support earlier identification of health problems, continuity of treatment and better coordination when patients move between providers and different levels of the health system.

Across the African Region, countries are expanding integrated NCD services through approaches such as WHO PEN at primary care level and PEN-Plus at first-level referral facilities. These approaches bring diagnosis, treatment and long-term care closer to communities while supporting safer care through evidence-based treatment protocols, clear referral pathways and regular monitoring.

Patient safety also depends on health workers having the knowledge, tools, reliable supplies and supportive working environments needed to provide quality care. Systems that enable health workers to report incidents and learn from them without fear of blame can help prevent similar harm in the future.

People living with NCDs and their families are equally important partners in making care safer. Their experiences can help identify where services break down, information is lost or risks arise as patients navigate different parts of the health system.

WHO is calling for patients and caregivers to be meaningfully involved in decisions about their care and encouraged to ask questions and raise concerns. Health services, in turn, need to listen to patients and use their experiences to improve the way care is designed and delivered.

"People living with NCDs must also be partners in making care safer. They understand where services break down and where risks arise in daily life" Dr Janabi said.

To mark World Patient Safety Day 2026, WHO in the African Region is supporting Member States with educational and campaign materials and convening a regional webinar bringing together countries, health workers, partners and people living with NCDs. The WHO Regional Office for Africa will also be illuminated in orange, the campaign colour for patient safety.

WHO is calling on countries to embed patient safety in NCD policies and programmes, strengthen systems for reporting and learning from harm, invest in health worker training and supportive supervision, and promote the safe use of medicines and health technologies.