Patient safety is a critical global public health issue, fundamental to strengthening healthcare systems and is at the heart of Universal Health Coverage (UHC). All WHO member states and partners are striving to progress towards the UHC and achieve Sustainable Development goals.
However, the benefits of increased access to and improved coverage of healthcare services have been undermined by systemic issues, including inefficient delivery service models, lack of human and financial resources, inefficient communication and teamwork, inappropriate cultures and behaviours that lead to significant human suffering and patient harm.
In recent years, the global effort to recognize the urgent need to reduce patient harm in healthcare systems around the world, have dramatically increased through the unprecedented momentum of patient safety generated by the series of annual Global Ministerial Summits on Patient safety. The global momentum led to the recognition of ‘patient safety as a global health priority’ by the 72nd world health assembly in May 2019. Dr. Lydia Okutoyi was among the panel of speakers at the pre-conference addressing the topic: Towards Zero Avoidable Harm in Healthcare.
