WHO Urges African Countries to Prioritise Patient Safety in Non-Communicable Disease Care

By Ali Mohammed Zanna, Maiduguri

The World Health Organisation (WHO) Regional Director for Africa, Dr Mohamed Janabi, has called on African governments, health workers, partners, patients and families to make patient safety an integral part of healthcare for people living with non-communicable diseases (NCDs).

Janabi made the call in his message to mark the 2026 World Patient Safety Day, commemorated under the theme, “Safe care for noncommunicable diseases” and the slogan, “Safe care for life!”

He said people living with diabetes, cancer, heart disease and chronic respiratory conditions often require years of consultations, tests, medicines, referrals and treatment, making patient safety essential throughout their healthcare journey.

According to him, every interaction with the health system should improve patients’ health, but each encounter can also expose them to avoidable harm.

“Noncommunicable diseases, or NCDs, caused at least 43 million deaths globally in 2021,” he said.

The Regional Director noted that NCDs accounted for 37 per cent of all deaths in the WHO African Region in 2019, compared with 24 per cent in 2000.

He added that nearly two-thirds of NCD deaths in the Region were premature, compared with 41.7 per cent globally.

Janabi identified unhealthy diets, physical inactivity, hypertension, obesity and air pollution among the risk factors contributing to the growing burden of NCDs.

He said patients receiving care from multiple providers and health facilities over long periods could face risks arising from delayed or missed diagnoses, medication errors, adverse drug interactions, weak follow-up and poor communication during referrals.

He also warned that patient safety risks could occur during diagnosis, treatment, rehabilitation, palliative care and self-management, and could be worsened by stigma, discrimination and limited access to essential medicines and health technologies.

Janabi stressed that expanding access to NCD services must go hand in hand with improving their safety and quality.

He identified strong primary healthcare as essential to providing continuity of care, detecting health problems early and coordinating treatment across different levels of the health system.

The WHO Regional Director further called for practical guidance, reliable supplies and supportive working environments where health workers could report errors and use lessons learnt to improve care without fear of blame.

He noted that countries across the African Region were expanding integrated NCD services through approaches such as WHO Package of Essential Noncommunicable Disease Interventions (WHO PEN) at primary healthcare level and PEN-Plus at first-level referral facilities.

According to him, the approaches bring diagnosis, treatment and long-term care closer to communities while promoting safer care through evidence-based treatment protocols, clear referral pathways and regular monitoring.

Janabi also emphasised the importance of involving people living with NCDs in efforts to improve patient safety.

He said patients understand where health services break down and where risks arise in their daily lives, urging health workers to listen to their experiences, communicate clearly and involve them in healthcare decisions.

He called on Member States to integrate patient safety into NCD policies and programmes, strengthen systems for reporting and learning from harm, and invest in health worker training, supportive supervision and the safe use of medicines and technologies.

The Regional Director urged health professionals to follow evidence-based protocols and communicate openly with patients and colleagues.

He also encouraged patients and families to ask questions, speak up and share concerns whenever aspects of their care were unclear.

“As WHO, we are committed to supporting Member States to strengthen primary health care, improve the quality and safety of NCD services, and ensure that the experience of patients and families informs how care is designed and delivered,” he said.

Janabi reaffirmed that every person should be protected from avoidable harm throughout their health journey, adding that collective action could reduce preventable harm and build health services that earn and sustain public trust.