World Patient Safety Day 2021: WHO working with Nigeria, others to implement Patient Safety Action Plan

By Doosuur Iwambe, Abuja

As Nigeria joins the rest of the world to mark the 2021 World Patient Safety Day, the World Health Organisation (WHO), has said that it is working with the Nigerian government and other African countries to  implement the 2021–2030 Global Patient Safety Action Plan.

This is just as the global health body identified postpartum haemorrhage, hypertensive diseases, and sepsis as major causes of deaths among pregnant women, mothers and newborns in Nigeria.

In a statement issued in commemoration of the day, the WHO Country Representative to Nigeria and Head of Mission, Dr. Walter Mulombo, also disclosed that  top causes of deaths among newborns were premature birth, babies not getting enough oxygen during birth, and infections. 

He said that many of these deaths could be prevented by ensuring that patients feel safe, respected and that their needs are heard and acted upon.

He said, “I echo the thoughts of the Regional Director, WHO AFRO Dr. Moeti Matshidiso that “many of these deaths could be prevented by making sure patients feel safe, respected and that their needs are heard and acted on, and by equipping the health workers with the knowledge, skills and tools to take life-saving action. 

“We need to do everything to stop the preventable deaths by ensuring our health facilities provide high quality, safe and effective healthcare. 

“Women are confronted with a range of challenges as patients. They often times face physical and verbal abuse, and exclusion from decision-making about their care. For instance, during childbirth, most of our healthcare settings are not set up to allow for pregnant women to have their choice of having a birth companion present or to deliver in their preferred birthing position. New-born rights, to quality care for example, largely go unprotected”. 

While disclosing that the situation was was made worse during the pandemic, Dr Mulombo said, people refused to  seek care in health facilities, for fear of contracting  COVID-19 and  other infectious diseases.

To combat this hesitancy, he stressed the need to  work on building strong  health systems, community trust and invest more in good infection prevention and control practices. 

This he added includes investing in access to clean water, sanitation and medical waste disposal systems, doing regular refresher training with health workers, and making sure sufficient quantities of gloves, masks and other protective equipment are available. 

The global health body further commended effort of the Nigeria government  in establishing Patient bill of right and efforts to develop a National Patient safety policy adding that it is working with countries to make this happen by implementing the WHO Global Patient Safety Action Plan 2021–2030.

“We praise Government of Nigeria’s effort in establishing the Patient bill of right and efforts to develop a National Patient safety policy. 

“WHO is also providing support to Government of Nigeria to develop a national quality policy and strategy that will ensure quality of care provided to patients including pregnant women and their newborn babies.

“In the past 3 years, WHO has been providing technical support to government as part of the WHO-led Quality, Equity and Dignity (QED) network with the aim of halving maternal and newborn mortality by 2030. So far, 112 Health facilities across 12 States and FCT are on the network with the support of WHO and other development partners. 

“There have been demonstrable results in not just reducing maternal and newborn mortality but also improving the experience of care of mothers when they access care in health facilities. 

“WHO is supporting government to enlarge this intervention to private sector with an a recent scoping mission on mechanism for engagement of private sector for QOC. 

“By engaging patients as partners in the provision of quality care, health systems will make tangible progress towards Universal Health Coverage; the voice of patients and their feedbacks must matter in healthcare provision. 

“There is need for more investment to ensure we not only save lives of women and children, but also to improve their experience of healthcare. This will birth trust in the system and could in turn improve the health seeking behaviour of the populace. 

“So, this World Patient Safety Day, I encourage all stakeholders  governments, civil society, the private sector, health workers and communities – to speak up for patient safety and to act now for safe and respectful childbirth”.

World Patient Safety Day is celebrated every year on 17 September, to raise awareness of the importance of people-centred care and preventing harm to patients. 

The theme for this year 2021 is “safe maternal and new-born care” with a campaign to “act now for safe and respectful childbirth”.