The World Health Organization (WHO) through the 72nd World Health Assembly, in May 2019, adopted resolution WHA72.6 on “Global Action on Patient Safety”, which urges Member States to recognize patient safety as a key priority in health sector policies and programmes. The member states requested the WHO Director-General to formulate a global patient safety action plan in consultation with Member States, regional economic integration organizations, patients and all relevant stakeholders, including in the private sector. This plan will besubmitted to the 148th session of the Executive Board in January 2021, and thereafter to the 74thWHA, in May 2021.
In this regard, a three-day global consultation was organized by the WHO at Geneva from 24-26 Feb 2020. The objective of this consultation was to work with stakeholders including patients, partners and experts to initiate the formulation of the Global Patient SafetyAction Plan. The World Patients Alliance’s (WPA) Chair Elect, Hussain Jafri was also invited to the global consultation. The participants worked on finalizing the shared vision for safer health care, goals and guiding principles for the global patient safety action plan. Moreover, the participants also worked across 12 key themes for the implementation of the action plan.
(L-R) Jeremy Hunt (former UK Foreign Secretary), Dr Neelam Dhingra-Kumar (Coordinator Patient Safety and Risk Management, WHO), Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus (Director-General WHO), Sir Liam Donaldson (WHO Envoy for Patient Safety) and Dr Edward Kelley Director (Integrated Health Services Department WHO)
and experts to initiate the formulation of the Global Patient SafetyAction Plan. The World Patients Alliance’s (WPA) Chair Elect, Hussain Jafri was also invited to the global consultation. The participants worked on finalizing the shared vision for safer health care, goals and guiding principles for the global patient safety action plan. Moreover, the participants also worked across 12 key themes for the implementation of the action plan.
The consultative meeting was moderated by Sir Liam Donaldson, WHO Envoy for Patient Safety and Dr Neelam Dhingra-Kumar, Coordinator Patient Safety and Risk Management, WHO Headquarters. The WHO Director-General ( DG ) Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus also participated in the closing ceremony of the consultation meeting.
Group Photo of those who attended the meeting
The Global Patient Safety Action Plan is a commitment from WHO, international health agencies and Member States to organize and roll out definitive action to reduce the overall burden of patient harm due to unsafe health care. The Global Patient Safety Action Plan will also work as the mainstream execution instrument for the 72nd WHA resolution on “Global action on patient safety”. This plan will be based on the guiding principles of equity, sustainability and accountability. The proposed action plan will seek inspiration and coherence with existing global action plans developed by WHO and other global health agencies. Aligned with the Sustainable Developmental Goals, the plan will be a roadmap for “A Decade of Patient Safety: 2020-2030”. The action plan is being developed through an iterative process, including a scoping exercise, a literature review and a draft, formulated by the WHO Secretariat, followed by multiple consultation meetings, both virtual and face-to-face. The final draft will be placed on the WHO website for open public consultation.
International Association for the Study of Pain
Working together for pain – Meeting in Amsterdam
On 8 December 2019 held an important meeting to focus on the voice and needs of patients. Representatives from Presidential Task Force on the Global Alliance of Pain Patients Advocates – GAPPA met in Amsterdam, Netherlands.
After many years of effort, the voice of the patient is finally heard. After the initial meeting at the 2019 World Congress of the International Association for the Study of Pain (IASP) in Boston, Massachusetts, USA, where patient organizations from around the world meet and a plan was formulated to move forward with establishing GAPPA where patients had a voice in IASP. We have to acknowledge the support of the IASP president Lars Arendt-Nielsen, Dr. Med., PhD and in recognizing the voice of the patient.
They had a chance to spoke to Matthew D’Uva, IASP CEO and Sarah Wheeler, IASP Director of Global Industry Engagement. Matthew D’Uva, who is also part of Scientific Committee stressed GAPPA participation in planned Congress activities in August 2020 in Amsterdam.
Task Force members introduced themselves and provided brief information on their background. After long discussion participants decided which session are important for patients, patients advocate and public to be relevant in the Congress agenda. They also focused their energy on defining the Mission and Vision of GAPPA.
