Message from Professor Didier Pittet
Patient safety is a critical challenge in the African region and key priorities identified by African health professionals are driving this new patient safety programme. These priorities include the prevention of health care-associated infection, improvements in waste management, safe surgical care and medication safety.
The programme has already gathered momentum and as it moves forward and expands over the coming years, the vision of establishing partnerships between European hospitals and each of the 46 countries in WHO’s African Region will become a reality. Each partnership commits to do its utmost to ensure sustainability and to act as a national beacon for patient safety knowledge and practice.
In its first wave, APPS is working with six hospital partnerships across Africa and Europe to implement safer health care at the frontline. The passion and energy of these hospital teams are contributing to making safer health care a reality.
For organizations, hospitals and individuals involved in APPS, the message is simple: join together across continents to expand global expertise on patient safety. Together we can make all the difference.
Professor Didier Pittet
Expert Lead, African Partnerships for Patient Safety