This year’s World Patient Safety Day on 17 September is focused on the theme ”Safe care for non-communicable 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 NCD, 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 diseases 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.
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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:
