The World Health Organisation (WHO) Regional Director for Africa, Dr Mohamed Janabi, has called on African governments and health systems to strengthen patient safety in the management of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs), warning that people living with chronic conditions can be exposed to avoidable harm throughout their long-term health journey.
Janabi made the call in his message marking World Patient Safety Day 2026, observed under the theme, “Safe care for noncommunicable diseases,” with the slogan, “Safe care for life!”
He said people living with conditions such as diabetes, cancer, heart disease and chronic respiratory diseases often require years of consultations, tests, medicines, referrals and treatment, making patient safety an essential part of every interaction with the health system.
According to him, NCDs caused at least 43 million deaths globally in 2021, while they accounted for 37 per cent of all deaths in the WHO African Region in 2019, compared with 24 per cent in 2000.
He noted that nearly two-thirds of NCD deaths in the African Region are premature, compared with 41.7 per cent globally, adding that the diseases are also a major cause of long-term disability and loss of function.
Janabi said avoidable harm could occur through delayed or missed diagnoses, medication errors, adverse drug interactions, weak follow-up and poor communication when patients move between health facilities and services.
He added that risks could arise at different stages of care, including diagnosis, treatment, rehabilitation, palliative care and self-management, and could be worsened by stigma, discrimination and barriers to essential medicines and technologies.
The WHO regional chief stressed that expanding access to NCD services must go together with improving their quality and safety.
“Strong primary health care can provide continuity, identify problems earlier and coordinate care across different levels of the health system,” he said.
Janabi also called for health workers to receive practical guidance, reliable supplies and supportive working environments where errors can be reported and used as opportunities for improvement rather than occasions for blame.
He said countries across the African Region were expanding integrated NCD services through initiatives including WHO PEN at primary healthcare level and PEN-Plus at first-level referral facilities.
According to him, the approaches bring diagnosis, treatment and long-term care closer to communities while promoting safer care through evidence-based treatment protocols, clear referral pathways and regular monitoring.
Janabi further emphasised the importance of involving patients and families in efforts to improve safety, saying people living with NCDs understand where health services break down and where risks emerge in their daily lives.
“Listening to their experience, communicating clearly and involving them in decisions can prevent harm and improve treatment outcomes,” he said.
He urged Member States to embed patient safety in NCD policies and programmes, strengthen systems for reporting and learning from harm, and invest in health worker training, supportive supervision and the safe use of medicines and technologies.
He also called on health professionals to adhere to evidence-based protocols and maintain open communication with patients and colleagues, while urging patients and families to ask questions, speak up and report concerns whenever aspects of their care are unclear.
Janabi reaffirmed WHO’s commitment to supporting African countries to strengthen primary healthcare and improve the quality and safety of NCD services.
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He said the experience of patients and families must inform how health services are designed and delivered.
“Every person should be protected from avoidable harm throughout their health journey,” Janabi said, adding that concerted action was needed to reduce preventable harm and build health services capable of earning and sustaining public trust.
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