World Patient Safety Day, 17 September 2020

World Patient Day, on 17 September 2020, aims to raise awareness on patient safety as a global health priority. The objectives of World Patient Safety Day are to increase public awareness and engagement, enhance global understanding, and spur global solidarity and action to promote patient safety.

The theme for this year’s campaign is ‘Health worker safety: a priority for patient safety’. The COVID-19 pandemic has unveiled the huge challenges and risks health workers are facing globally, including healthcare-associated infections, violence, stigma, psychological and emotional disturbances, illness and even death. Furthermore, working in stressful environments makes health workers more prone to errors which can lead to patient harm.