Cardiovascular Diseases
19.8 million deaths every year
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Early diagnosis, safe medication practices, and timely emergency care are essential to preventing avoidable harm.
Why It Matters
Patient safety is not optional — it's foundational
Unsafe care remains one of the leading causes of avoidable harm in health systems worldwide, and Nigeria is no exception. Behind every statistic is a person who trusted a health facility to help them, not harm them. Patient safety means building systems, habits and cultures where that trust is never misplaced.
- 1 in 10 patients is harmed while receiving hospital care in high-income countries, with an even greater burden in low- and middle-income countries
- Up to 80% (4 out of 5) of patient harm events are estimated to be preventable
- SQHN works with facilities across Nigeria to embed quality and safety into everyday practice
Source: World Health Organization (WHO), patient harm statistics
This Year's Focus
Why safe care for NCDs matters
Noncommunicable diseases now account for the majority of deaths globally, and people living with them often need consistent, long-term contact with the health system — repeated diagnoses, prescriptions, procedures and follow-up. Every one of those contact points is a chance to get safety right, or an opportunity for preventable harm: a missed drug interaction, a delayed diagnosis, an unsafe procedure. Safe care for NCDs means designing that entire journey around the patient, not around the system's convenience.
Major noncommunicable diseases
Cancer
10 million deaths annually
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Early detection, accurate diagnosis, and safe treatment improve outcomes and reduce preventable harm.
Diabetes
Over 2 million deaths each year
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Safe medication use, coordinated long-term care, and patient education help prevent complications and improve lives.
Chronic Respiratory Diseases
Around 4 million deaths annually
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Accurate diagnosis, appropriate treatment, and ongoing monitoring reduce complications and improve patient safety.
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Questions
Frequently asked questions
What is World Patient Safety Day?
World Patient Safety Day is a World Health Organization global campaign, marked every 17 September, that calls for action to reduce patient harm and improve the safety of health care worldwide.
Why is the 2026 theme focused on noncommunicable diseases?
NCDs such as cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes and chronic respiratory disease now account for a large and growing share of the burden of illness. People living with NCDs interact with the health system repeatedly over many years, which means safety has to be built into every one of those touchpoints.
Who can take the pledge?
Any health worker, health facility staff member, or health professional in Nigeria is welcome to take the pledge — from clinical roles like doctors, nurses and pharmacists to administrative and support roles that keep facilities running safely.
What happens to my photo?
Your photo is used only inside your own browser to generate your pledge card. It is never uploaded, transmitted or stored on any server.
What information is saved when I submit the form?
Only your name, profession and organisation/facility are recorded, along with a timestamp, so SQHN can track participation in the campaign.
Can I take the pledge on behalf of my whole team?
Each pledge is personal, so we'd encourage every team member to submit their own — it only takes a minute, and it means everyone gets their own shareable card.