Ethiopia is strengthening patient safety systems as the country responds to the growing burden of noncommunicable diseases, with health authorities calling for safer, more coordinated and people-centred care for patients who often navigate the health system for years or even a lifetime.
The message was central to Ethiopia’s commemoration of World Patient Safety Day 2026, held at Zewditu Memorial Hospital in Addis Ababa under the theme “Safe care for noncommunicable diseases” and the slogan “Safe care for life!”
The national event brought together the Ministry of Health, the World Health Organization (WHO), regional and city health authorities, professional associations, patient representatives and health partners to examine practical measures for improving the safety and quality of care for people living with chronic conditions.
For patients with diabetes, hypertension, cancer or chronic kidney disease, healthcare is rarely limited to a single consultation. Their care may involve repeated medical appointments, medicines, diagnostic tests, referrals and follow-up visits, sometimes across several health facilities.
This makes coordination and communication critical. Gaps in patient information, unclear referrals or failures to communicate between health professionals can increase risks for patients over the course of their treatment.
Speaking at the commemoration, Dr Hiwot Solomon, Disease Prevention and Control Lead Executive Officer at the Ministry of Health, highlighted Ethiopia’s efforts to strengthen patient safety across health facilities.
She said the country’s health sector has increasingly moved beyond expanding access to essential services towards ensuring that care is also safe, effective and consistently delivered.
A major development unveiled during the event was the Electronic Patient Safety Incident Reporting System (ePSIRS), a digital platform designed to improve the reporting, documentation and analysis of patient safety incidents.
The system is available in English, Amharic and Afaan Oromo, supporting wider access and use across Ethiopia. It is intended to help health facilities identify safety incidents, learn from them and strengthen systems to prevent similar occurrences.
The commemoration also placed patients themselves at the centre of discussions.
A dedicated patient testimony session featured people living with hypertension, diabetes, cervical cancer and chronic kidney disease, allowing participants to hear directly about their experiences of diagnosis, treatment and long-term care.
Dr Abas Hassen, Health System Innovation and Quality Lead Executive Officer at the Ministry of Health, stressed the importance of incorporating patients’ experiences and perspectives into efforts to improve the safety and quality of healthcare.
The testimonies highlighted that patient safety extends beyond medical procedures. For people managing chronic illnesses, it includes being listened to, receiving clear information, participating in decisions about treatment and experiencing smooth transitions between healthcare providers and facilities.
This people-centred approach is particularly important for noncommunicable diseases because patients often require long-term or lifelong interaction with health services.
The event also combined policy discussions with practical health interventions. On-site blood pressure and random blood sugar screening provided an opportunity to promote early detection and monitoring of common noncommunicable diseases.
An exhibition showcased patient safety innovations, e-health applications and point-of-care diagnostic technologies from the Ministry of Health and participating partners, demonstrating how digital tools and innovation can support safer and more responsive healthcare.
Representing WHO Ethiopia, Dr Fahmi Ahmed emphasised the importance of safe, continuous and coordinated care as Ethiopia addresses the increasing burden of noncommunicable diseases.
“Patient safety must be embedded in every aspect of health service delivery, particularly for people living with chronic conditions who depend on continuous care,” he said.
He also reaffirmed WHO’s support for the Ministry of Health and partners in strengthening patient safety and quality-of-care systems, including approaches that place patients and families at the centre of healthcare.
For Ethiopia, the commemoration underscored a broader shift in healthcare priorities: expanding access must be matched by efforts to ensure that the care patients receive is safe and of high quality.
As people living with chronic diseases interact with multiple health professionals and services over many years, every consultation, medicine, diagnostic test and referral forms part of a wider care journey.
The challenge for the health system is therefore not only to provide care, but to ensure that the entire journey remains safe, coordinated and centred on the needs of patients and their families.
