World Patient Safety Day, 17 September 2026: “Safe care for noncommunicable diseases”

From the World Health Organisation:

Safe care for life!

World Patient Safety Day brings together governments, partners and communities to focus attention on patient safety and accelerate action to reduce avoidable harm in health care.

In 2026, the campaign focuses on safe care for noncommunicable diseases (NCDs), with the slogan “Safe care for life!”. People living with NCDs often require continuous care across multiple settings and over long periods, creating multiple points where safety risks can arise — from prevention and diagnosis to treatment, long-term management and self-care. These risks are also influenced by health system challenges and the broader determinants of health.

Improving safety in NCD care requires addressing risks related to the complexity of care, strengthening health systems through a primary health care approach and tackling wider determinants that can increase the risk of harm. The campaign also highlights the importance of engaging people with lived experience in the design and delivery of NCD services and in their own care.

In this regard, WHO convened a working group discussion with lived experience and health workforce experts to support the development of the global communication campaign. 12 experts representing all WHO regions attended the consultation in early March, 2026. Key insights included recognizing people living in NCDs as partners rather than patients, and positioning safe care as relevant across everyday life, not only within health care settings.