Sept. 17 is World Patient Safety Day — a campaign established by the World Health Organization in 2019 to raise awareness about adverse patient safety events.
Five more notes about the day:
1. About 134 million adverse events occur in hospitals in low- and middle-income countries every year, resulting in 2.6 million deaths, the WHO estimates, prompting the launch of World Patient Safety Day. In high-income countries, it is estimated that 1 in every 10 patients is harmed while receiving hospital care.
2. Each year, World Patient Safety Day has a different theme to call attention to a priority patient safety area. In 2020, the theme was "Health worker safety: A priority for patient safety."
3. This year's theme is "Safe maternal and newborn care." Globally, about 810 women die daily from preventable causes related to pregnancy and childbirth. Estimates show 6,700 newborns die every day.
4. On Sept. 15, a report from the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights outlined ways the federal government can reduce racial disparities in maternal health outcomes, including a recommendation to implement standardized care practices across hospitals and health systems.
5. To mark World Patient Safety Day 2021, the WHO is urging stakeholders to adopt best practices and strategies to prevent avoidable harm to women and newborns during childbirth. The campaign's signature mark is to light up iconic monuments, landmarks and public places in the color orange.