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Found 279 results
  1. News Article
    The Ebola outbreak in eastern Congo has now surpassed 1,000 confirmed cases, with officials reporting 254 deaths as of Sunday evening. Congo’s Ministry of Health confirmed 1,003 cases and 100 recoveries since the epidemic was declared on 15 May in Ituri province. Caused by the rare Bundibugyo virus, for which no vaccines or treatments exist, this outbreak was the worst ever in its initial month. Officials admit more cases are likely unknown, and the peak is still ahead. Contact tracing remains a key issue, with local authorities achieving only 55 per cent coverage. The outbreak’s patient zero is yet to be identified, and over 35,000 contacts still require tracing, authorities confirmed. Read full article. Source: The Independent, 22 June 2026
  2. News Article
    Three new vaccines are being developed to tackle the rare species of Ebola that has already killed nearly 250 people. The International Aids Vaccine Initiative (IAVI), which is working on one vaccine, said the outbreak was threatening to be the worst ever. The University of Oxford and the pharma company Moderna are also researching vaccines against the Bundibugyo species. The Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (Cepi), which is providing funding to each group, said "every day counts". There are now more than 1,000 suspected cases in the DR Congo with nine confirmed cases in neighbouring Uganda. There is growing concern this outbreak – which was detected only after it had spread in a conflict zone with limited healthcare resources – could reach the size of the largest ever Ebola outbreak in West Africa in 2014-16. Then, nearly 29,000 people were infected and more than 11,000 died. Dr Mark Feinberg, head of IAVI, said: "I think this is clearly threatening to be as severe an outbreak as that, if not even worse, and development of a vaccine, and other countermeasures, is clearly a priority." It echoes concerns from the medical charity Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) which said the situation was "deeply alarming" and never before had "so many cases" been recorded so soon. Read full story Source: BBC News, 1 June 2026
  3. Event
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    The Ebola outbreak highlighted significant gaps in monitoring systems for healthcare professionals. Dynamic health information can be challenging to track and respond to effectively, increasing susceptibility to outbreaks of special pathogens. This webinar will describe operational challenges in post-exposure monitoring for Ebola and other special pathogens; explain how digital monitoring tools can strengthen healthcare workers’ safety; identify key design considerations for special pathogen monitoring systems; discuss how Ebola preparedness lessons can be applied to other special pathogens; evaluate how drills and simulations validate readiness; reveal near misses; test escalation pathways; improve coordination between occupational health, infection prevention, supervisors, emergency management, and public health; and recognise the importance of human oversight in digital preparedness systems. Register
  4. News Article
    Midwifes, health works and mothers from across Africa and the UK have held a protest outside the World Health Assembly in Geneva to end the scandal of women giving birth in dangerous clinics and maternity wards without clean water. Frontline health workers and mothers from Tanzania, Nigeria, Morocco, Ghana and the UK beat drums, waved blue fabric and held placards calling on world leaders to take action. Silviana Swallo, a midwife from Tanzania said: "I can't speak about midwifery care without adequate water supply. Water is health for mothers, newborns and health care providers." Her colleague Christina Mhando, WaterAid Tanzania's head of policy, said: "The solutions exist, they're simple and cheap. We just need them to listen and act." The protest was organised as part of WaterAid's "Time to Deliver" campaign, which The Independent has worked on, that calls on world leaders to use the upcoming United Nations (UN) Water Conference in December to ensure that every health centre worldwide has clean water, decent sanitation and proper hygiene facilities. Read full story Source: The Independent, 19 May 2026
  5. News Article
    Hard-won successes in efforts to stop women and babies dying in childbirth have faced a serious setback with recent cuts to foreign aid – and the trend is now reversing in some countries, new figures show. Significant progress in tackling preventable maternal mortality across the globe had seen the rate decline by 40% in the last two decades. However, the latest data from the World Health Organisation (WHO) suggests this progress has slowed in recent years, and recent aid cuts by the US, as well as other countries including Britain, will start to reverse those crucial gains. With Donald Trump in particular slashing America’s foreign assistance programmes by 57%t last year, global aid fell by 23% cent in 2025 compared to 2024, and is projected to drop by a further 5.8% in 2026. Maternal mortality is particularly acute in parts of Africa, and is already playing out in the Central African Republic, which has the second-highest rate of neonatal deaths globally, according to the UN. Monica Ferro, head of the United Nations Population Fund’s London office, said that the work over the last 20 years had given the world “hope that finally the world would be on track to reach zero preventable maternal deaths”. “We know that when funding is cut, services are shut down and women die. It is that simple. It may sound cruel, but it is that simple, and we have the evidence to prove it.” “It is very disappointing. The women and girls who are losing access to services will not forgive us for promising them a world with more dignity and then failing them because funding is being withdrawn.” Read full story Source: The Independent, 10 May 2026
  6. News Article
    Findings of a rigorous evaluation of the public health use of the RTS,S malaria vaccine, published in The Lancet, confirm significant reduction in child deaths in the first African countries to offer the vaccine. Over a period of four years, an estimated 1 in 8 child deaths were averted among those eligible to receive the malaria vaccine in Ghana, Kenya and Malawi. According to the authors, positive impact is likely to be as high or higher in other African countries now offering malaria vaccines to young children in areas of high malaria burden. The evaluation assessed data generated through the Malaria Vaccine Implementation Programme (MVIP), which examined the outcomes of malaria vaccine introduction in the first three countries from 2019 to 2023. Despite global progress, malaria continues to take a devastating toll on children in Africa. In 2024, an estimated 438,000 African children died from the disease. Tens of thousands of lives could be saved every year through the wide implementation of World Health Organization (WHO) recommended malaria vaccines, RTS,S or R21. WHO recommends an integrated approach because the highest impact on malaria is achieved when countries apply a combination of preventive, diagnostic and treatment strategies. Read full article. Source: WHO, 8 May 2026
  7. Event
    This the next session of the JCI Patient Safety Grand Rounds will highlight global perspectives on how investing in patient safety generates measurable operational and economic value. You will hear from internationally recognised experts as they examine the economic value of patient safety and its impact on health systems, hospitals, patients, and society. Featured speakers include: Dr. Shankar Prinja, MD, DNB, MSc - Professor of Health Economics, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Research, Chandigarh, India Katherine de Bienassis, MPH - Health Policy Analyst, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), France Dr. Rachel A. Elliott, PhD, FRPharmS - Professor of Health Economics, University of Manchester; and Lead, Manchester Centre for Health Economics, United Kingdom You can register your place here. JCI-GrandRounds-June26-Flyer-Final.pdf
  8. Content Article
    Sepsis, life-threatening acute organ dysfunction due to infection, is a global health priorit with approximately 49 million cases and 13 million sepsis-related deaths each year. Beyond being acutely deadly, sepsis contributes to new and worsened physical, cognitive, and mental health problems in many survivors. Early identification and treatment are critical to improving outcomes. The Surviving Sepsis Campaign (SSC) guidelines are intended to support clinicians caring for adult patients with sepsis, focusing on management in the hospital, the immediate prehospital setting, and the immediate post-hospital setting. These guidelines incorporate principles of antimicrobial stewardship through responsible antimicrobial use, proper diagnostic strategies, and de-escalation of antimicrobial therapy. The recommendations reflect evidence-based best practice, distilling a large body of research into actionable recommendations. They empower individuals and health systems to make informed choices about care and support improvements in management and outcomes of sepsis. Further reading on the hub: Spotting the signs of sepsis: a series of short videos Top picks: 13 resources about sepsis
  9. Event
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    The 3rd World Patients Conference is WPA’s flagship global hybrid event, bringing together patient leaders, policymakers, healthcare professionals, academics, civil society, and industry stakeholders from around the world. The conference aims to empower patient leaders through training, knowledge exchange, and networking, while advancing patient-centred policies through engagement with policymakers and global institutions. It will also showcase best practices and innovations from patient organizations worldwide, foster multi-stakeholder dialogue, and strengthen WPA’s global network and membership engagement. The programme will feature plenary sessions, high-level panels, workshops, patient leadership training, and networking opportunities. Register
  10. Content Article
    Despite decades of national efforts, non-communicable diseases (NCDs) continue to rise. NCDs are long-lasting health conditions, that typically develop slowly and progress over time. They include cardiovascular diseases (such as heart attacks and strokes), cancers, chronic respiratory diseases and diabetes. NCDs affect far more than health outcomes: they influence how people live and work, strain families and communities, and impose a growing burden on health systems and economies. This report from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) assesses the health and economic benefits of tackling NCDs. It highlights how countries that succeed in reducing key health risks such as obesity and tobacco use can save lives, ease pressure on health budgets and unlock substantial economic gains. World Patient Safety Day on the 17 September 2026 is focused on the theme “Safe care for non-communicable diseases”.
  11. Content Article
    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. 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 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. 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. 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. 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 World Health Organization. Announcing World Patient Safety Day 2026 – Safe care for noncommunicable diseases. 30 March 2026. 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
  12. News Article
    At least two trusts have declared incidents after a cyber attack on a key supplier, HSJ understands. An Iran-linked group appears to have claimed responsibility for the attack on medical device supplier Stryker, saying it was a response to a bombing that killed dozens of children in the town of Minab. The US firm was attacked on Wednesday evening and local NHS procurement teams spent Thursday determining what the impact would be on trusts that buy orthopaedic implants, defibrillators, ambulance trolleys and other products from the company. Sources at two acute trusts confirmed they had declared incidents due to the supply concerns, but they did not want to be identified. So far trusts have been able to obtain equipment needed urgently from elsewhere after implementing their business continuity plans. National NHS bodies have set up an incident team to manage supply disruption, but have not declared a national critical incident. The company, whose UK and Ireland branches turned over nearly £500m sales last year, said the incident had “caused disruptions to order processing, manufacturing and shipping”. Stryker said the disruption stems from a cybersecurity attack targeting its Microsoft environment but that it has no indication of ransomware or malware and believes the incident has been contained. The American Hospital Association said it has not identified any direct disruptions to U.S. hospital operations. John Riggi, the AHA’s national adviser for cybersecurity and risk, told Becker’s on the 12 March the organisation is actively exchanging information with hospitals and the federal government as the situation develops. Read full story (paywalled) Source: HSJ, 13 March 2026
  13. News Article
    After pulling out of the World Health Organization, the Trump administration is proposing spending $2 billion a year to replicate the global disease surveillance and outbreak functions the United States once helped build and accessed at a fraction of the cost, according to three administration officials briefed on the proposal. The effort to build a U.S.-run alternative would re-create systems such as laboratories, data-sharing networks and rapid-response systems the U.S. abandoned when it announced its withdrawal from the WHO last year and dismantled the U.S. Agency for International Development, according to the officials, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to share internal deliberations. While President Donald Trump accused the WHO of demanding “unfairly onerous payments,” the alternative his administration is considering carries a price tag about three times what the U.S. contributed annually to the U.N. health agency. The U.S. would build on bilateral agreements with countries and expand the presence of its health agencies to dozens of additional nations, the officials said. “This $2 billion in funding to HHS is to build the systems and capacities to do what the WHO did for us,” one official said. Public health experts said the effort would be costly and unlikely to match the WHO’s reach. “Spending two to three times the cost to create what we already had access to makes absolutely no sense in terms of fiscal stewardship,” said Tom Inglesby, director of the Center for Health Security at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, who served as a senior covid-19 adviser during the Biden administration. “We’re not going to get the same quality or breadth of information we would have by being in the WHO, or have anywhere the influence we had.” Read full story (paywalled) Source: Washington Post, 19 February 2026
  14. Event
    The next session of the JCI Patient Safety Grand Rounds series: “Psychological Safety of Healthcare Workers,” will bring together esteemed leaders who have made significant contributions to advancing safety, well‑being, and resilience across health systems. Speakers include: Ken Grubbs, DNP, MBA, RN Chief Nursing Officer, Executive Vice President, Accreditation and Certification Operations, The Joint Commission, United States J. Corey Feist, JD, MBA Co‑Founder & Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Lorna Breen Heroes’ Foundation, United States Professor Anupam Sibal, MD, FIMSA, FIAP, FRCP (GLASG), FRCP (LON), FRCPCH, FAAP Group Medical Director, Apollo Hospitals Group, Senior Consultant Pediatric Gastroenterologist and Hepatologist, Indraprastha Apollo Hospital, India Register
  15. Content Article
    This JCI Patient Safety Pathways Grand Rounds webinar featured a compelling conversation between internationally recognised leaders in the field: Prof Kok Hian Tan, Group Director & Senior Associate Dean at the SingHealth Duke-NUS Institute for Patient Safety & Quality (IPSQ), Singapore Dr. Abdulelah Alhawsawi, Board Member, Joint Commission Resources, Former Director-General, Saudi Patient Safety Center, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Dr. James I. Merlino, Executive Vice President and Chief Innovation Officer, Joint Commission, United States of America Dr. Neelam Dhingra, Vice President and Global Chief Patient Safety Officer, Joint Commission International, Former Head, WHO Patient Safety and Blood Safety (2000-2024), Switzerland. You can access the webinar recording from the link below.
  16. Community Post
    the hub was launched in 2019 with the aim of sharing learning for safer care. We now have members from all around the world, and many are helping to shape the hub by sharing their patient safety insights through blogs, interviews, tools and practical examples. Recently, the Uganda Alliance of Patients’ Organizations (UAPO) shared a blog on the hub on how Uganda is 'Putting patients at the centre of antimicrobial stewardship in Uganda. Do you have insights to share around patient safety? We would love to hear from other countries and organisations on the work they are doing. Are you a member of the hub? Why not join our global community today (it’s free and easy to sign up) and submit an article or share a resource? You can also contact the editorial team at [email protected]. Read some more of our international patient safety insights in our top picks.
  17. Content Article
    “When the medicine no longer works, the patient suffers twice: first from the illness, then from the cost, fear, and uncertainty that follows.” Across Uganda, patients are increasingly experiencing infections that no longer respond to commonly used antibiotics. Conditions that were once easily treatable now require longer hospital stays, repeated courses of treatment and higher out-of-pocket expenditure. These lived experiences reflect the human impact of antimicrobial resistance (AMR), a growing threat to patient safety, equity and health system resilience.[1] Although antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) has traditionally focused on prescribers, laboratories and health facilities, evidence from Uganda demonstrates a critical reality: a large proportion of antibiotic use occurs at community and household level.[2] Without engaging patients and communities as partners, stewardship efforts remain incomplete and unsustainable. Annet Naguudi, Regina Kamoga and Joshua Wamboga from the Uganda Alliance of Patients’ Organizations (UAPO) argue that strengthening AMS in Uganda requires placing patients at the centre of the response and highlights the strategic positioning of the UAPO to lead this shift in line with national and global priorities. The AMR challenge in Uganda: More than a technical problem Uganda is experiencing increasing resistance to widely used antibiotics, including amoxicillin, ciprofloxacin, ceftriaxone, gentamicin and cotrimoxazole.[2][3] Surveillance and hospital-based studies show a rising prevalence of multidrug-resistant organisms, particularly extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL)–producing Enterobacterales and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA).[2] Drug resistance has also been documented across priority disease programmes. Uganda’s first national tuberculosis (TB) drug-resistance survey reported resistance to any first-line anti-TB drug in 10.3% of new patients and 25.9% of previously treated patients, with multidrug-resistant TB reaching 12.1% among the latter group.[4] In malaria, resistance to chloroquine and later sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine emerged in the 1990s and early 2000s, prompting successive changes in national treatment policy toward artemisinin-based combination therapies.[5] HIV drug resistance has similarly increased over time, particularly to non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors, contributing to Uganda’s transition to dolutegravir-based first-line regimens with a higher barrier to resistance.[6][7] Together, these trends highlight AMR as a cross-cutting threat requiring coordinated AMS across human health programmes. For patients, AMR translates into: Delayed recovery and treatment failure. Prolonged hospital admissions. Increased healthcare and household costs. Reduced trust in health services. These outcomes are not driven by clinical factors alone. Patient behaviour and community norms, including self-medication, incomplete adherence to treatment, pressure on clinicians to prescribe antibiotics and sharing of medicines within households, are major contributors to inappropriate antimicrobial use in Uganda.[1][8] Addressing this is therefore essential to effective AMS. Strong policy commitment, persistent implementation gaps Uganda has demonstrated strong political commitment to addressing AMR through the National Action Plan on Antimicrobial Resistance II (NAP-AMR II) 2024/25– 2028/29, which aligns with the WHO Global Action Plan on AMR and adopts a One Health approach spanning human, animal and environmental health.[1][8] Key achievements include: Establishment of a national AMR Secretariat. Adoption of the WHO Access, Watch, and Reserve (AWaRe) antibiotic classification. Piloting of AMS committees in selected regional referral hospitals. Annual national AMR awareness campaigns. However, despite these advances, AMS implementation remains uneven. Stewardship activities are largely concentrated in tertiary facilities, diagnostic capacity is limited in many settings, and surveillance systems do not adequately capture community-level antimicrobial use.[8] Critically, patient engagement is not yet systematically embedded within AMS implementation, limiting the reach and sustainability of national efforts. Why patient engagement is central to AMS AMS is most effective when patients are not passive recipients of instructions but active partners in care. Patients influence antimicrobial use at every stage: care-seeking behaviour, expectations during clinical encounters, adherence to prescribed treatment and medicine use within households.[1] Meaningful patient-centred AMS ensures that patients are: Informed, with clear and accessible information about when antibiotics are needed. Empowered, able to ask questions and participate in shared decision-making. Engaged, involved in shaping stewardship messages and interventions. Partners in accountability, reinforcing appropriate use within families and communities. Evidence increasingly shows that stewardship interventions incorporating patient education and community engagement achieve more durable behaviour change than provider-only approaches.[9] The strategic role of patient organisations Patient organisations occupy a unique position within health systems. Rooted in lived experience and trusted by communities, they can translate complex technical guidance into culturally relevant messages, strengthen trust and support accountability for quality and safety. UAPO is a national umbrella body representing 18 patient organisations across diverse disease areas. UAPO provides a unified, patient-centred platform that aligns closely with Uganda’s AMR priorities, particularly in: Rational medicine use. Community awareness and behaviour change. Patient safety and quality of care. Accountability and transparency in health systems. UAPO does not replace government leadership or clinical stewardship. Rather, it complements national and facility-based AMS efforts by anchoring stewardship in lived experience and community practice, consistent with WHO guidance on meaningful patient engagement.[10] Demonstrated patient-led innovation: The CHAIN experience A compelling example of patient-centred AMS in practice is provided by Community Health and Information Network (CHAIN), a UAPO member organisation. CHAIN has developed an innovative gamification-based approach to antimicrobial stewardship education that targets children as agents of change. Through interactive play, storytelling and peer learning, children are taught: When antibiotics are needed—and when they are not. The importance of correct dosing and completing treatment. Hand hygiene and infection prevention. The risks of sharing or misusing medicines. To date, this approach has reached over 20,000 children in rural and urban communities and has demonstrated measurable improvements in hygiene and medicine safety behaviours (UAPO internal programme data). Children trained through the programme act as AMR champions, influencing parents and caregivers and reinforcing responsible antimicrobial use at household and community levels. This early-life intervention addresses AMR at its behavioural roots and complements facility-based stewardship and regulatory interventions.[8] UAPO’s positioning to lead a national patient-centred AMS campaign UAPO is uniquely positioned to lead a national campaign on strengthening AMS through patient engagement by offering: National convening power to bring together patients, clinicians, policymakers, regulators, and partners. Trusted community reach through established patient networks. Strong alignment with national policy, particularly NAP-AMR II. Scalable community-based models that complement technical AMS interventions. A sustainability focus, embedding stewardship behaviours early and across generations. Through this role, UAPO can help ensure that AMS is not only implemented, but understood, owned and sustained by the communities it serves, reinforcing national AMR objectives.[8] Conclusion: From policy to people Uganda has laid strong foundations for addressing antimicrobial resistance through robust policies and multi-sectoral coordination. However, the next phase of progress depends on translating policy and technical guidance into everyday decisions made by patients and families. Strengthening antimicrobial stewardship without engaging patients risks short-lived gains. By placing patients at the centre of AMS and by supporting patient organisations, such as UAPO as partners and conveners, Uganda has an opportunity to demonstrate how meaningful patient engagement can accelerate stewardship, protect life-saving medicines and strengthen health system resilience. Investing in patient-centred AMS is not optional; it is essential. References World Health Organization. Global action plan on antimicrobial resistance, 2015. Okiror JJ, Aruhomukama D, Kajumbula H. Kateete DP. Trends in antimicrobial resistance from sentinel surveillance sites in Uganda. BMC Infectious Diseases 2024; 24: Article 912. Ndugga P, Mboowa G, Karamagi C, Taremwa IM. Antimicrobial resistance patterns among priority bacterial pathogens in Uganda. BMC Infectious Diseases 2024; 24: Article 930. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12879-024- 09806-y. Lukoye D, Adatu F, Musisi K, et al. Anti-tuberculosis drug resistance among new and previously treated sputum smear-positive tuberculosis patients in Uganda: Results of the first national survey. PLoS ONE, 2023; 8(8): e70763. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0070763. Kamya MR, Bakyaita NN, Talisuna AO, et al. Increasing antimalarial drug resistance in Uganda and revision of treatment guidelines. The Lancet 2002; 360(9341): 451–2. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(02)09609-7. WHO. HIV drug resistance report 2019. World Health Organization, 2019. Wittkop L, Günthard HF, de Wolf F, et al, WHO HIVResNet. Effect of transmitted drug resistance on virological and immunological response to initial combination antiretroviral therapy for HIV. The Lancet HIV 2021; 8(3): e167–e77. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2352-3018(20)30338-7. Ministry of Health (MoH), Republic of Uganda. National Action Plan on Antimicrobial Resistance II (2024/25–2028/29). Government of Uganda, 2025. WHO. Antimicrobial stewardship programmes in health-care facilities in low- and middle-income countries: A WHO practical toolkit. World Health Organization, 2019. WHO. Framework on integrated, people-centred health services. World Health Organization, 2016. Further reading on the hub: Why won’t my doctor give me antibiotics? Ron Daniels explains My involvement with the Commonwealth Partnerships for Antimicrobial Stewardship Scheme (CwPAMS) in Zambia Top picks: Key resources on antimicrobial resistance Do you have insights to share around patient safety? We would love to hear from other countries and organisations on the work they are doing. Are you a member of the hub? Why not join our global community today (it’s free and easy to sign up) and submit an article or share a resource? You can also contact the editorial team at [email protected].
  18. Content Article
    This webinar was part of a series of evidence events hosted by the Health Foundation's NHS Productivity Commission. The NHS Productivity Commission has been established with the aim of providing evidence and solutions to boost NHS productivity growth over the next decade. The Commission is drawing on experience and insights from the NHS, the wider economy and health systems in other countries.   In this event we hear from an expert panel about what we can learn from international evidence and best practice. 
  19. Content Article
    Six years ago, the Director-General of the World Health Organization sounded the highest global alarm available under international law at the time, declaring the outbreak of a new coronavirus disease (later known as COVID-19) a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC). While the PHEIC was declared over in May 2023, the impact of COVID-19 remains etched in our collective memory – and continues to be felt worldwide. As we cross this six-year mark, WHO asks countries and partners, just as we ask ourselves: Is the world better prepared for the next pandemic?
  20. News Article
    Nearly 23 million additional deaths are expected by 2030 as a result of countries like the US and UK dramatically cutting their overseas aid, a new report estimates. The peer-reviewed study, produced by the Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal) and published in the influential health journal The Lancet, finds that cuts to aid programmes in 93 countries - including 38 in Sub-Saharan Africa - will result in 22.6m extra deaths by 2030. With that total including some 5.4 million children under the age of five, the findings have been labelled a “humanitarian catastrophe”. “These findings give a voice to millions of vulnerable people and show the profound moral cost of the zero-sum approach many political leaders are taking,” said Dr Rajiv J Shah, president of The Rockefeller Foundation, which helped to fund the report. “Though it will take years to adequately assess the full toll of aid cuts, this early projection is an urgent call to action,” added Dr Shah, who is also a former administrator of the US Agency for International Development (USAID), which is the agency that managed most American aid programmes before it was closed by Donald Trump last year. “This humanitarian catastrophe is not inevitable, but preventing it will require all of us to act with urgency,” Dr Shah added. Read full story Source: The Independent, 2 February 2026
  21. Content Article
    In this article Jeremy Hunt argues that closing the UK’s patient safety gap must become a core national priority. He reflects on new data highlighted in the Institute of Global Health Innovation and Patient Safety Watch report, Global State of Patient Safety 2025, which shows tens of thousands of deaths could be prevented by matching the performance of leading health systems.
  22. Content Article
    Produced by Patient Safety Watch in partnership with the Institute of Global Health Innovation at Imperial College London, this report considers the current state of patient safety around the world. The report compares patient safety performance across 38 Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries, using four internationally comparable indicators: Maternal mortality Neonatal disorders Treatable mortality Deaths due to the adverse effects of medical treatment On this basis, Norway ranks first in the world for patient safety, while the UK ranks 21st, unchanged since their previous report in 2023. Based on its findings, the report updates and expands on the three recommendations made in their 2023 report: To create a more comprehensive set of global patient safety indicators, they encourage international organisations focused on safety and quality to develop a roadmap to improve data coverage in LMICs. The example of maternal and neonatal safety data shows how collective action can lead to global coverage, supporting safety improvement efforts. To support improved adoption of best practice in patient safety, they advise countries to use our patient safety dashboard, international insights, and ambitions for national patient safety systems to learn from best practice in core aspects of patient safety. These tools complement emerging resources, including the WHO Global Knowledge Sharing Platform for Patient Safety. To help ensure patients, families and carers become active partners in the delivery of safe care, they advocate national and international action to address the inequities in safe care identified in this report. Their case studies demonstrate how patients and the public can become part of the solution, helping to design and inform national policies and interventions for safer care.
  23. Content Article
    The aim of the Observatory is to provide a global resource for policymakers, regulators, academics, the private sector and civil society to find solutions to the most pressing challenges posed by Artificial Intelligence. The Observatory showcases information about the readiness of countries to adopt AI ethically and responsibly. It also hosts the AI Ethics and Governance Lab, which gathers contributions, impactful research, toolkits and good practices across a range of issues related to AI ethics, governance, responsible innovation, standards, institutional capacities, generative AI, and neurotechnologies.
  24. Content Article
    Our free platform for patient safety – the hub – was launched in 2019 with the aim of sharing learning for safer care. We now have members from all around the world, and many are helping to shape the hub by sharing their patient safety insights through blogs, interviews, tools and practical examples.  In this Top picks, we showcase some of our international contributions, and celebrate our ever-growing network of people who are passionate about reducing avoidable harm. From the United States 1. Diagnostic errors and delays: why quality investigations are key Dan Cohen, international consultant in patient safety and clinical risk management, and Trustee for Patient Safety Learning, looks at the challenges around diagnostic error and delay, 3. A complex adaptive systems approach to patient safety Kumar Subramaniam, CEO at SafeTower, argues that it is time to reimagine safety event reporting and management solutions that guide, not prescribe, investigations and improvement actions. 4. Patient Safety Spotlight interview with Soojin Jun, Co-founder of Patients for Patient Safety US Soojin Jun talks explains how her personal experience of harm motivated her to work in healthcare and campaign for patient safety, the power of collaboration in improving healthcare safety and how healthcare workers can take steps to improve their own patient interactions. 5. Harmful attitudes towards gynae surgery as a discipline – a risk to patient safety An interview with US-based gynaecology surgeon Jocelyn Fitzgerald, looking at the knock-on patient safety issues caused by negative attitudes towards her specialty. 6. Enhancing patient safety through effective communication in clinical trials and cancer care: a blog by Tambre Leighn Tambre discusses how effective communication is essential for ensuring patient safety in clinical trials and cancer care, and why poor communication can lead to negative outcomes. 7. Now is not soon enough: Patients, families and the general public have much to gain from the US National Patient Safety Board Act Olivia Lounsbury, Committee Lead for Patients for Patient Safety US's National Patient Safety Oversight committee, looks at a new Bill calling for the creation of a US National Patient Safety Board (NPSB). From Africa 1. The 'Minutes of the Minute': a blog by Ehi Iden - OSHAfrica Ehi Iden discusses the importance of documenting and learning from patient safety incidences. Using a fictional story to draw parallels from, Ehi highlights how accountability, leadership and reporting incidences will help us keep staff and patients safe. 2. Friends of African Nursing (FoAN): Training perioperative nurses across Africa FoAN's Chair of Trustees Kate Woodhead describes the challenges facing nurses working in perioperative care in many African countries. 3. 'Mind the Implementation Gap': the challenges facing Ethiopia Yakob Seman Ahmed reflects on Patient Safety Learning's recent report 'Mind the implementation gap: The persistence of avoidable harm in the NHS' and the similar challenges Ethiopia faces in implementing its own standards and policies. 4. Patient Safety Spotlight interview with Chidiebere Ibe, medical illustrator and medical student Chidiebere Ibe is passionate about increasing representation of Black people in all forms of medical literature. In this interview, he explains how lack of representation at all levels of the healthcare system leads to disparities in healthcare experiences and outcomes. 5. Spotlight on Sudan: How can we improve healthcare services during war? From his observations of healthcare conditions in Sudan, Dr Ahmed Khalafalla presents some ideas on how we can improve healthcare services during times of war and uncertainty to make healthcare services accessible for those who need them. 6. Preventing patient falls in healthcare settings: The need for fall risk assessment Patient falls are a significant concern in healthcare settings, often leading to severe injuries, prolonged hospital stays and increased healthcare costs. This blog from Augustine Kumah, Deputy Quality Manager at The Bank Hospital, Accra, Ghana, explores the significance of fall risk assessment, its implementation and its role in reducing fall-related incidents in healthcare settings. 7. Putting patients at the centre of antimicrobial stewardship in Uganda: Why meaningful patient engagement is essential to beating antimicrobial resistance Across Uganda, patients are increasingly experiencing infections that no longer respond to commonly used antibiotics. Conditions that were once easily treatable now require longer hospital stays, repeated courses of treatment and higher out-of-pocket expenditure. In this blog, Annet Naguudi, Regina Kamoga and Joshua Wamboga from the Uganda Alliance of Patients’ Organizations (UAPO) argue that strengthening AMS in Uganda requires placing patients at the centre of the response and highlights the strategic positioning of the UAPO to lead this shift in line with national and global priorities. From Australia 1. #NavigatingHealth—Enabling every patient, every time, system-wide In this blog, Siân Slade shares how, through her research interest into the difficulties of navigating the healthcare system in Australia, she created a policy and advocacy project: #NavigatingHealth. The aims of the project are to streamline the silos and address the fragmentation of healthcare by bringing together all those who are developing solutions to enable patients and carers to better navigate healthcare journeys. 2. “Listening to a patient’s history for longer can help doctors make the right diagnosis” Mary Dahm and Carmel Crock tell us more about their research to explore the relationship between communication and diagnostic accuracy. 3. Professional regulation and patient safety systems: parallel planets or partners in improvement? Martin Fletcher has been part of transformational change in professional regulation through his tenure as Chief Executive of the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (Ahpra). Martin shares Australia's regulatory journey and reflects on the UK's more gradual path to reforming their legislative frameworks. He highlights both countries' shared common goals and the challenges faced along the way. He ends the blog with three priorities for future action: integrating professional regulation into system safety, better use of data to anticipate risk and embedding equity and cultural safety. More international insights… 1. ‘Knowledge is the driver of change and will make a difference': a blog from Peter Lachman Peter, Lead of the Faculty Quality Improvement Programme, Royal College of Physicians of Ireland, explains why safety must be embedded into what we do every day, not what we do only after harm has occurred, and why we need to constantly ask ourselves “what do we need to do to be safe?” 2. Patient Safety Spotlight interview with Isabela Castro, patient advocate Isabela is from Brazil and in this interview shares how her experience of losing her baby daughter to avoidable harm in 2006 led to her involvement in patient safety advocacy, and talks about the vital role of patient campaigners in driving the movement to reduce avoidable harm. 3. Patient Safety Spotlight interview with Roohil Yusuf, Global Pharmacy Adviser at Save the Children international Roohil talks to us about the vital role of pharmacists in making sure medications help patients, rather than causing harm and highlights the global threat of substandard and counterfeit medicines. 4. Mother knows best – a blog by Dr Abha Agrawal Dr Abha Agrawal shares with the hub her family's experience of going into hospital in India, and demonstrates how patients and families can be true partners in patient safety. 5. The patient's chair: a blog by Dr Faisal Saeed Dr Faisal Saeed, a doctor in the Maldives, talks about the patient-provider power imbalance using an AI generated image of two chairs to illustrate his points. 6. Patient Safety Spotlight interview with Josie Gilday, Global Medical Adviser at Save the Children International Josie tells us about the nursing error that first sparked her interest in patient safety, how a just culture helps healthcare workers and systems learn from their mistakes, and how her love of skiing has inspired her to think differently about risk in healthcare. 7. Treading around level 3: Time for a paradigm shift in patient safety? Dr Abdulelah Alhawsawi, Abdominal Organs Transplant and Hepato-biliary Surgeon, and Director General of the Saudi Patient Safety Center, discusses why hospitals are falling short of safe care levels. He believes healthcare continues to be structurally weak when it comes to the safety conditions and suggests that there is an urgent need for a paradigm shift in the way we think about patient safety and how we implement it while providing healthcare. In his essay, Dr Alhawsawi proposes four practical solutions. 8. The power of being heard in healthcare (a blog by Risa Mallory) Risa Mallory, a retired psychotherapist from Canada, talks about the importance of listening in healthcare, and how patient voices play a critical role in ensuring safety, quality and fairness. 9. Patient safety in humanitarian settings This blog describes the challenges faced in assuring patient safety in humanitarian settings and offers suggestions for how international medical aid organisations can build patient safety systems. 10. How a charity in France is supporting intensive care units: An interview with Anne-Sophie Debue In this interview, Anne-Sophie Debue tells us about the 101 Fund in France, a charity that develops projects to support intensive care units, and a tool that they have developed, LifeMapp, which supports patients and their families during and after intensive care. 11. Can systems modelling help generate safer and faster morbidity and mortality conference preparation? Reflections from a pilot study on coronary angiography Stefan Peil, a healthcare consultant in Germany, summarises a pilot study he has done to see whether a structured systems model can support the preparation of a morbidity and mortality (M&M) conference discussion. 12. The ant that moves the elephant: a lesson in building safer reporting cultures Saed Saleh Abed, a risk management supervisor at the Royal Commission Health Services Program (RCHSP) in Jubail, Saudi Arabia, discusses how a single report—no matter how minor—can challenge an assumption and shift an entire system toward safer care. Join the hub Do you have insights to share around patient safety? Are you a member of the hub? Why not join our global community today (it’s free and easy to sign up) and submit an article or share a resource? You can also contact the editorial team at [email protected]. Could you be an international Topic leader for the hub? We are looking for someone based outside of the UK, with expertise in an area of patient safety to join our team of volunteer Topic leaders. Our topic leaders are an integral part of ensuring the value of content on the hub. We want to ensure that quality content is published on the hub and that we have credible experts in specific topic areas to contribute personal blogs sharing expertise and insights advise us on the validity of posted content suggest areas to develop content in lead and respond to discussions within our communities. If you’d like to apply to become a topic please visit our Topic leader page where you’ll find a job description and application form.
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