The World Health Organization (WHO) has raised alarm over the rising burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) in Africa, warning that millions of people living with chronic conditions face avoidable harm due to unsafe care. In his message to mark World Patient Safety Day 2026, the WHO Regional Director for Africa, Dr. Mohammed Janabi, said patient safety must be made an integral part of long-term care for people living with diabetes, cancer, heart disease, and chronic respiratory conditions. The Day is being marked under the theme 'Safe care for Noncommunicable Diseases' with the slogan 'Safe care for life!' Janabi noted that for a person living with such conditions, health care is rarely a single encounter and may involve years of consultations, tests, medicines, referrals, and treatment, each of which should improve health but can also expose a patient to avoidable harm.
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