The World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Director for Africa, Dr Mohamed Janabi, has called on African governments and healthcare providers to strengthen patient-safety measures for people living with non-communicable diseases (NCDs).
Janabi made the call on Wednesday in a statement marking the 2026 World Patient Safety Day, themed “Safe Care for Noncommunicable Diseases,” with the slogan “Safe Care for Life!”
He urged governments, health workers, development partners, patients and families to make patient safety an integral part of NCD care across the WHO African Region.
According to him, efforts to expand access to NCD services must be accompanied by measures to improve safety, quality and continuity of care.
Janabi explained that people living with NCDs often require treatment over many years, involving consultations, diagnostic tests, medication, referrals and care across different levels of the health system.
He warned that while every interaction with the healthcare system should improve a patient’s health, inadequate safeguards could expose patients to avoidable harm.
Such risks, he said, include delayed or missed diagnoses, medication errors, adverse drug interactions, inadequate follow-up and poor communication when patients move between healthcare providers or facilities.
“Patient-safety risks can occur during diagnosis, treatment, rehabilitation, palliative care and self-management,” Janabi said, stressing the importance of safeguards throughout a patient’s healthcare journey.
He also identified stigma, discrimination and difficulties in accessing essential medicines and technologies as factors that could increase risks for people living with NCDs.
According to Janabi, NCDs caused at least 43 million deaths globally in 2021, while they accounted for 37 per cent of all deaths in the WHO African Region in 2019, up from 24 per cent in 2000.
He added that nearly two-thirds of NCD deaths in the African Region were premature, compared with 41.7 per cent globally.
Janabi identified unhealthy diets, physical inactivity, hypertension, obesity and air pollution among factors contributing to the growing burden of NCDs in Africa.
He stressed the importance of strong primary healthcare systems in providing continuity of care, detecting health problems early and coordinating services across different levels of the health system.
The WHO official also called for practical guidance, reliable medical supplies and supportive working environments for health workers to enable them to deliver safe and effective NCD services.
He said healthcare systems should encourage workers to report errors and safety concerns and use lessons from such incidents to improve services without creating a culture of fear or blame.
Janabi noted that African countries were expanding integrated NCD services through initiatives such as the WHO Package of Essential Noncommunicable Disease Interventions (WHO PEN) at the primary healthcare level.
He said PEN-Plus was also being implemented at first-level referral facilities to bring treatment for severe and chronic NCDs closer to underserved communities.
According to him, these approaches promote safer healthcare through evidence-based treatment protocols, clear referral pathways and regular monitoring of patient outcomes.
Janabi also emphasised the need to involve patients and their families in healthcare decisions, noting that their experiences could help identify gaps and safety risks in service delivery.
He urged health workers to listen to patients, communicate clearly and involve them in decisions about their treatment and long-term disease management.
The WHO Regional Director further called on Member States to strengthen systems for reporting and learning from patient harm while investing in health-worker training, supportive supervision and the safe use of healthcare technologies.
He urged patients and families to ask questions and raise concerns whenever they were uncertain about any aspect of their treatment.
Janabi reaffirmed WHO’s commitment to supporting Member States in strengthening primary healthcare and improving the quality and safety of NCD services.
He stressed that every person living with an NCD deserved protection from avoidable harm throughout their healthcare journey.
According to him, achieving “Safe Care for Life” requires governments, health workers, patients, families and development partners to work together to make healthcare safer at every stage.
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