World Patient Safety Day 2025

Patient safety from the start!

16 September 2025, Cairo, Egypt - World Patient Safety Day, marked each year on 17 September, is an opportunity to raise public awareness, foster collaboration between stakeholders and mobilize to improve patient safety.

The theme this year - "Safe care for every newborn and every child", accompanied by the slogan "Patient safety from the start!" - highlights the vulnerability of the youngest patients. Patient safety in newborn and childcare settings is critically important. Globally, millions of children face avoidable harm each year while undergoing medical care.

In 2023, in the Eastern Mediterranean Region, around 800 000 children died before reaching their 5^th birthday - 60% of them in the first month of life - mainly due to preventable causes such as pre-term and intra-partum complications and infections. Addressing this alarming situation in the Region is complicated by conflict and humanitarian crises. Disrupted health systems, overwhelmed facilities and shortages of skilled staff and essential supplies significantly compromise the safety of care for newborns and children, increasing the risk of unsafe practices, delays in care and preventable harm.

It has become increasingly clear that without taking immediate action to improve the quality and safety of care, high burden countries in the Region and beyond will not meet Sustainable Development Goal neonatal and child mortality targets by 2030.

On World Patient Safety Day 2025, the World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean is urging governments, donors and development partners to invest in tested, evidence-based maternal and child health strategies, especially in crisis-affected and resource-limited settings.

Every US$ 1 invested in maternal and newborn health in the Region yields returns of between US$ 9 to US$ 20. One of the most impactful investments in public health, it is also an investment in national development, stability and human capital.

On World Patient Safety Day WHO is calling for urgent action to eliminate avoidable harm in paediatric and newborn care. Governments and policy-makers are urged to create enabling environments for the adoption and scale-up of evidence-based interventions, prioritizing Early Essential Newborn Care, small and sick newborn care, including Kangaroo Mother Care, emergency obstetrics and newborn care, Integrated Management of Childhood Illnesses and Hospital Care for Children. These interventions cover safer childbirth practices, medication and immunization safety, early diagnosis, infection prevention and better recognition of health deterioration. WHO also recommends leveraging mobile, digital health and other new technologies and data systems to improve service delivery and accountability.

Families, caregivers and communities - essential partners in protecting the health and well-being of newborns and children - must be empowered to advocate for safer care. Their active engagement helps identify safety concerns, improves communication with health providers and ensures that care is respectful, timely and responsive to needs.

A child's right to safe, quality health care is non-negotiable. By working together, we can ensure patient safety from the start and ensure every child has a safer, healthier future.

Light up the world in orange

On 17 September, iconic landmarks and public places will be illuminated orange in a well-recognized signature of the campaign. WHO encourages everyone - governments, health workers, parents, schools and communities - to join the campaign and take part in local activities to promote patient safety.