WHO Global Patient Safety Report 2024 Highlights Progress in Enhancing Healthcare Safety

The Global Patient Safety Report evaluates progress across more than 100 Member States against seven strategic objectives established by GPSAP.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has released its inaugural Global Patient Safety Report 2024, offering a comprehensive assessment of global efforts to improve patient safety and outlining critical areas for further development. The report marks a significant milestone following the adoption of the Global Patient Safety Action Plan (GPSAP) 2021–2030, emphasizing the importance of implementing policies and strategic interventions to minimize risks and enhance healthcare safety globally.

Key findings from the report indicate that while progress has been made in several areas outlined by GPSAP, significant challenges persist. Approximately one-third of countries have established national action plans and programmes dedicated to patient safety, underscoring the need for accelerated efforts to align with global health priorities. Conversely, over 70% of countries have made notable strides in implementing occupational health and safety programmes for healthcare workers, reflecting a positive trend in safeguarding healthcare environments.

Crucially, patient access to medical records remains a cornerstone of improving safety measures, with approximately 80% of countries implementing procedures to facilitate this accessibility. However, concerns persist regarding patient engagement and insufficient funding allocated to implement comprehensive patient safety interventions. Only 11% of countries reported adequate financial resources allocated to fully execute planned safety initiatives, highlighting a critical gap in funding priorities.

Despite the global observance of World Patient Safety Day in 2023, which focused on enhancing patient and family engagement, the report reveals disparities in patient representation across healthcare governance structures. Only 13% of countries have patient representatives on the governing boards of a majority of hospitals, emphasizing the need for greater involvement of patient perspectives in healthcare decision-making processes.

Dr. Rudi Eggers, Director of WHO’s Integrated Health Services Department, emphasized the widespread impact of unsafe healthcare practices, noting that an estimated 1 in 10 patients experiences harm from adverse events during medical care. He underscored the report’s role as a pivotal tool in advancing global patient safety initiatives, urging Member States and stakeholders to prioritize patient safety within the framework of universal health coverage.

The Global Patient Safety Report evaluates progress across more than 100 Member States against seven strategic objectives established by GPSAP. These objectives include policy development, organizational reliability, clinical process safety, patient and family engagement, healthcare worker education and safety, information management and research enhancement, and fostering partnerships and solidarity to strengthen healthcare systems.

The report serves as a vital resource for policymakers, clinical leaders, healthcare professionals, patient safety advocates, academics, and researchers, offering valuable insights into areas requiring targeted interventions and investments. It underscores the uneven progress in patient safety measures across different regions, reinforcing WHO’s commitment to collaborating with stakeholders to address these disparities and build resilient healthcare systems worldwide.

Moving forward, WHO will continue to leverage data from the Global Patient Safety Report to guide strategic interventions and support initiatives that promote safer healthcare practices, ultimately striving towards achieving universal health coverage with enhanced patient safety at its core.