Resolutions

The Seventy-second World Health Assembly (WHA72) in May 2019 adopted a resolution on ‘Global action on patient safety’ recognizing patient safety as a global health priority and highlighting that no one should be harmed in health care. Among many actions, the resolution WHA72.6: 

  • requests WHO to formulate a global patient safety action plan; 
  • endorses the establishment of World Patient Safety Day to be observed annually on 17 September; 
  • urges Member States to share and disseminate best practices and encourages mutual learning to reduce patient harm through regional and international collaboration; 
  • requests WHO to design, launch and support Global Patient Safety Challenges.

The global need for quality of care and patient safety was first discussed during the World Health Assembly in 2002. Resolution WHA55.18 on ‘Quality of care: patient safety’ at the Fifty-fifth World Health Assembly urged Member States to “pay the closest possible attention to the problem of patient safety”. 

Since the resolution in 2002, there have been several international initiatives, which have brought the important matters to the attention of policy-makers in many countries, including: 

  • development of global norms and standards 
  • promotion of evidenced-based policies 
  • promotion of mechanisms to recognize excellence in patient safety internationally 
  • encouragement of research 
  • provision of assistance to countries in several key areas. 

 

World Health Assembly, WHO Executive Board and WHO Regional Committees Resolutions and Declarations for Patient Safety

 

Regional Committee Resolutions and related documents