World Patient Safety Day, which is marked every year on 17 September, was established by the 72nd World Health Assembly in May 2019, following adoption of resolution WHA72.6 on ‘Global action on patient safety’. The resolution recognizes patient safety as a global health priority and promotes the objectives of World Patient Safety Day, namely to increase public awareness and engagement, enhance global understanding, and spur global solidarity and action to progress patient safety. World Patient Safety Day builds on a series of successful annual Global Ministerial Summits on Patient Safety, which started in London in 2016.

In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic has very clearly revealed the huge challenges and risks facing health workers globally, including health care-associated infections, violence, stigma, psychological and emotional suffering, physical illness and even death. Furthermore, working in stressful environments makes health workers more prone to errors which can lead to patient harm.

The WHO Patient Safety Flagship organized a Global virtual event on 17 September 2020, bringing together WHO Member States, regions, international organizations and partners from around the world, to feature stories and showcase initiatives and programmes in the area of health worker safety and patient safety. In addition, WHO launched a set of advocacy and technical products to support implementation of theme-related strategies.

The event was simultaneously interpreted in the six UN languages (Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish).

- Watch event on Youtube

- Programme of work