World Patient Safety Day 2026

Summary

This year’s World Patient Safety Day on 17 September is focused on the theme ”Safe care for noncommunicable diseases”. This article explains the aims of the event and the areas it will cover.

Content

Thursday 17 September 2026 marks the seventh annual World Patient Safety Day. World Patient Safety Day aims to:

• increase public awareness and engagement
• enhance global understanding
• work towards global solidarity and concerted action by all countries and international partners to improve patient safety.

The theme of this year’s event is “Safe care for noncommunicable diseases”.[1]

Noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) tend to be of long duration and are the result of a combination of genetic, physiological, environmental and behavioural factors. Common types of NCDs include cardiovascular diseases (such as heart attacks and stroke), cancers, chronic respiratory diseases (such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and asthma) and diabetes.

People of all age groups, regions and countries are affected by NCDs, although they are often associated with older age groups. NCDs disproportionately affect people in low- and middle-income countries, where nearly three quarters of global NCD deaths (32 million) occur.[2]

People living with NCDs can need care across multiple settings over long periods of time, with multiple points where safety risks can arise.

Objectives of World Patient Safety Day 2026

• Raise global awareness of patient safety challenges associated with NCDs across the continuum of care through a primary health care approach while considering disease-related factors, health system challenges and determinants of health that may increase the risk of harm.
• Promote the meaningful engagement of people living with NCDs and communities, in identifying safety risks and co-developing solutions with health practitioners, organizational leaders and policy-makers. 
• Encourage stakeholders to integrate patient safety principles across NCD-related legislation, policies, strategies and programmes, with an emphasis on strengthening primary health care oriented health systems.
• Support health workers in strengthening patient safety practices such as safer diagnosis, medication safety and meaningful patient engagement.

Key messages

1. People living with NCDs are at increased risk of harm in health care. This risk is driven by the long-term and complex nature of NCDs, health system challenges such as fragmented care and broader factors that affect access to safe care, such as poverty and discrimination.
2. Risks must be addressed across the continuum of care and in daily life. Safety risks can arise at every stage, from prevention, early detection and diagnosis to treatment and long-term management, across health care settings, homes and communities.
3. Strong, integrated health systems and a supported health workforce are essential for safe care. Strengthening primary health care, supporting health workers and addressing barriers that affect access to safe care through multisectoral action, are key to reducing harm.
4. People living with NCDs must be partners in safe care. Meaningful engagement, learning from people with lived experience and supporting health literacy reduces harm and leads to safer, better-quality care.

Calls to action

People living with or at risk of NCDs and their caregivers - Stay informed. Stay engaged. Stay safe.

• Don't miss opportunities for prevention. Learn about NCD risk factors, participate in recommended screening and preventive care, and seek help early when you notice warning signs.
• Know your condition and safety risks. Understand your diagnosis, tests, treatments and possible sources of harm related to your condition. Follow basic safety practices such as hand hygiene and double-checking your medications.
• Know your rights and be an active partner in your care. Take part in health care discussions and decisions about your care. Ask questions, confirm your understanding and speak up if you have concerns or notice safety practices being missed.
• Be your own "information officer". Keep an accurate record of your symptoms, test results, medications and appointments, including when travelling or when away from home. Use tools like electronic records, reminders or trusted health apps to track your readings, medications, test results and appointments.
• Navigate transitions safely. Stay alert during "handover" moments between health practitioners and during referrals and discharge. Make sure you are clear about your medications, follow-up appointments and who to contact if your symptoms worsen. Follow up on your test results — "No news" is not always good news.
• Master your self-care. Know how to use your medications, medical devices and digital health tools correctly. Know your warning signs and when to seek help

Health practitioners - Make NCD care safe at every step.

• Prioritise meaningful engagement. Partner with people living with NCDs as expert team members. Support shared decision-making. Empower people living with NCDs to recognize risks, manage their care safely and identify warning signs that require action.
• Promote prevention and reduce risk. Identify and address modifiable risk factors, support healthy lifestyles and provide evidence-based preventive interventions.
• Ensure early detection and accurate diagnosis. Reduce delays, avoid missed or incorrect diagnoses by maintaining a high index of suspicion about NCD-related risks, and interpret tests carefully, especially in people with multiple conditions.
• Identify risks and prevent harm. Take proactive steps to prevent harm across the continuum of care, such as missed prevention opportunities, delayed or incorrect diagnoses, medication errors, procedural risks and device-related harm.
• Ensure continuity and coordination of care. Communicate clearly, manage transitions safely and maintain follow-up across health practitioners and settings.
• Learn and improve continuously. Report incidents, share good practices and contribute to a culture of safety and continuous improvement.

Health care facility managers -  Establish systems that enable safe NCD care

• Prevent harm through early action. Establish systems that support evidence-based preventive services and risk assessment, early detection, timely management and ongoing follow-up.
• Enforce rigorous safety standards. Standardize care and implement protocols to address the major sources of harm.
• Ensure continuity and coordination of care. Establish standardized processes for handovers, referrals and discharge across practitioners and health care settings.
• Embed meaningful engagement within facility governance. Involve people living with NCDs in facility boards, safety committees and the design of care processes.
• Support and enable the workforce. Provide training, resources and supportive working conditions. Foster teamwork and open communication between staff members.
• Use lived experience and data to improve care. Establish a safety culture, promote incident reporting by health workers and patients and use lived experience to drive continuous improvement.

Policy-makers and health care leaders - Embed safety in every NCD policy and programme.

• Integrate safety into NCD policies and legislation. Ensure safety is embedded in national strategies to deliver on commitments from the 2025 UN Political Declaration on NCDs.
• Promote prevention and early detection. Strengthen policies and programmes that support risk reduction, preventive services, screening and early detection of NCDs.
• Strengthen primary health care for safe NCD care. Build integrated, people-centred systems that provide continuous and coordinated care, and address barriers that prevent people from accessing safe NCD services.
• Ensure sustainable financing and financial protection. Mobilize and sustain resources and reduce financial barriers for accessing safe essential NCD services for all.
• Invest in a capable health workforce. Train, support and retain health workers with the competencies needed to deliver safe NCD care.
• Engage people with lived experience. Establish mechanisms to involve civil society in the design, delivery and accountability of NCD care.

Civil society organisations - Mobilise action for safer NCD care.

• Advocate for safer NCD care. Call for the prioritization of safety and quality in NCD policies, programmes and services.
• Strengthen health literacy and promote early action. Provide trusted information and practical support to help people understand NCD risks, recognize early signs, and seek timely screening and care.
• Support safe care in everyday life. Help people living with NCDs to follow their care safely, recognize risks such as medication errors or missed care, and identify warning signs that require action.
• Break down barriers and promote equity. Help identify and overcome barriers such as stigma, discrimination and low health literacy that may be preventing people from accessing safe care for NCDs.
• Empower people to speak up. Create a culture where people feel confident to ask questions, raise concerns and insist on being heard when they feel something is wrong with their care.
• Collaborate for safety. Represent people with lived experience in policy dialogue and work with health workers to co-create safer systems.

Share your views and experiences on the hub

Do you have experiences or views around the theme of this year’s World Patient Safety Day that you would like to share? You can share your thoughts with us by commenting below (sign up here for free first), submitting a blog, or by emailing us at [email protected].

References

1. World Health Organization. Announcing World Patient Safety Day 2026 – Safe care for noncommunicable diseases. 30 March 2026.
2. World Health Organization. Noncommunicable diseases. 25 September 2025.

Related reading

Find out more about previous World Patient Safety Days in the blogs below:

• World Patient Safety Day 2025
• World Patient Safety Day 2024
• World Patient Safety Day 2023
• World Patient Safety Day 2022
• World Patient Safety Day 2021