World Patient Safety Day 2026 | World Patients Alliance

Theme: Safe care for noncommunicable diseases
Slogan: Safe care for life!
Date: 17 September 2026

World Patient Safety Day is an official WHO global public health day observed every year on 17 September.

It was established by the World Health Assembly in 2019 through resolution WHA72.6 on global action on patient safety. The Day aims to raise global awareness of patient safety, engage key stakeholders, and encourage action to reduce avoidable harm in health care.

Each year, World Patient Safety Day focuses on a priority patient safety theme. This provides a shared platform for patients, families, caregivers, health workers, health leaders, policy-makers, civil society, and communities to work together for safer care.

This year the theme of the World Patient Safety Day 2026 is safe care for noncommunicable diseases.

Patients living with noncommunicable diseases often require long-term care across different stages, services, and care settings. This can increase the risk of preventable harm, especially when care is delayed, fragmented, poorly coordinated, or not clearly communicated.

Patient safety risks in NCD care may include diagnostic delays, medication errors, healthcare-associated infections, unsafe use of medical devices, gaps in follow-up, and barriers to timely access. These risks can affect patients across prevention, screening, diagnosis, treatment, self-care, rehabilitation, and palliative care.

Under the slogan “Safe care for life!”, World Patient Safety Day 2026 calls for stronger action to prevent avoidable harm throughout the full continuum of NCD care. It highlights the need for care that is safe, continuous, coordinated, and centred on patients’ needs, experiences, and rights.

For the World Patients Alliance, this theme reinforces the importance of meaningful patient engagement in making NCD care safer. Patients, families, caregivers, health workers, communities, health leaders, and policy-makers all have a role in building safer systems of care.

The global campaign outlines four strategic objectives:

– Raise global awareness of patient safety challenges associated with NCDs across the continuum of care.

– Promote the meaningful engagement of patients and communities in identifying safety risks and co-developing solutions.

– Encourage stakeholders to integrate patient safety principles across NCD-related legislation, policies, and strategies.

– Support health workers in strengthening patient safety practices, including safer diagnosis and medication safety.

– People living with NCDs are at increased risk of harm in health care

– Risks must be addressed across the continuum of care and in daily life

– Strong, integrated health systems and a supported health workforce are essential for safe care

– People living with NCDs must be partners in safe care

The World Patients Alliance will mark World Patient Safety Day 2026 through a patient-centred campaign focused on safe care for noncommunicable diseases.

The campaign will advocate for continuous, coordinated, and safe care across the full lifespan of patients managing NCDs. It will highlight the safety risks patients may face across prevention, screening, diagnosis, treatment, self-care, rehabilitation, and palliative care.

WPA will promote the meaningful engagement of patients, families, caregivers, patient organizations, communities, health workers, organizational leaders, and policy-makers in identifying safety risks and co-developing practical solutions.

The campaign will also raise awareness of key patient safety issues in NCD care, including diagnostic delays, medication safety, fragmented care, poor communication, and barriers to timely access.

Through awareness, advocacy, a global webinar, a dedicated social media toolkit, and grants for member organizations, WPA will support coordinated action and encourage stronger policy attention to patient safety in NCD care.

World Patient Safety Day 2026 is an opportunity for patients, patient organizations, health workers, policy-makers, communities, and partners to support safer care for noncommunicable diseases.

You can participate in WPA’s WPSD 2026 campaign through the following actions:

– Use the Toolkit: Download the WPA social media toolkit and follow the 19-day campaign calendar to share coordinated messages on safe NCD care.

– Organize WPSD Activities: Organize WPSD activities using WPA resources, WPA will support and promote the activity globally.

– Apply for a Grant: WPA member organizations can submit proposals for funding support to organize local or national WPSD 2026 activities and events.

– Attend the Webinar: Register for WPA’s global webinar to join discussions with health leaders, policy-makers, patient advocates, health workers, and patient organizations.

– Light Up in Orange: Join the global patient safety movement by illuminating monuments, landmarks, public buildings, and public spaces in orange on 17 September 2026.

– Share Your Activity: Inform WPA about your WPSD 2026 activity so it can be highlighted as part of the wider campaign.