FG steps up patient safety efforts, focuses on safer NCD care

The Federal Government has renewed its commitment to strengthening patient safety and improving the quality of healthcare delivery, particularly for Nigerians living with noncommunicable diseases (NCDs).

The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate, stated this on Thursday in Abuja at the commemoration of World Patient Safety Day 2026, observed annually on September 17.

This year’s celebration is themed “Safe Care for Noncommunicable Diseases,” with the slogan “Safe care for life!”

Pate said the theme underscores the need to ensure that people living with NCDs receive safe, coordinated and quality healthcare throughout their care journey.

He noted that diseases such as cardiovascular diseases, cancers, diabetes and chronic respiratory diseases often require prolonged interaction with the health system, creating multiple points where patient-safety risks could arise.

According to him, such risks can occur at various stages of care, including prevention, diagnosis, treatment, referral, follow-up and long-term disease management.

The Minister stressed that patient safety remains fundamental to the quality and effectiveness of healthcare delivery, requiring that the right care be provided to the right patient, at the right time and in the right manner, while minimizing avoidable harm.

Pate said the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare developed the National Patient Safety and Care Quality Policy and Implementation Strategy in 2024 as part of efforts to strengthen safety and quality across the health system.

He added that the ministry further reinforced its commitment in January 2026 with the establishment and inauguration of the National Task Force on Clinical Governance and Patient Safety.

The task force, he explained, was mandated to strengthen the systems and structures required to institutionalize clinical governance and patient safety across Nigeria.

The Coordinating Minister emphasized that safer healthcare could not be achieved solely through the individual commitment of health professionals.

He said it requires strong leadership and governance structures, clear standards, competent and adequately supported healthcare workers, reliable data, functional reporting and learning systems, quality-improvement mechanisms, as well as meaningful engagement of patients and their families.

Pate said the government would continue to strengthen these systems to ensure that patient safety becomes an integral part of healthcare delivery and that Nigerians living with NCDs can receive safer care throughout their treatment journey.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) Representative in Nigeria, r. Pavel Ursu called for stronger focus on the quality and safety of care for people living with non-communicable diseases (NCDs) as the burden of such diseases continues to rise across Africa.

WHO representative said NCD mortality in the African Region increased from 24 per cent in 2000 to 37 per cent in 2019.

The representative noted that nearly two-thirds of NCD deaths in Africa are premature, compared with 41.7 per cent globally, highlighting the need to improve access to and quality of NCD services.

According to the WHO, people living with NCDs often receive care from multiple providers and facilities over long periods, creating risks such as delayed or incorrect diagnosis, medication errors, adverse drug interactions, weak follow-up and poor communication.

The representative stressed the importance of expanding quality NCD services, particularly through primary healthcare, while strengthening the use of evidence-based protocols, standard operating procedures and referral systems to ensure safer care for patients.

The Director of Hospital Services, Dr Okpikpi Okpako, said patient safety begins with healthy communities, resilient health systems, informed patients, and healthcare environments that minimise preventable harm.

He said, “We contribute to this broader goal through our work in health security, infection prevention and control, community health and hygiene, and antimicrobial resistance.

“As we mark this important day, we affirm our commitment to working alongside the government, healthcare workers, partners, patients and communities to advance safer healthcare in Nigeria.”

The Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, Ms. Kachollom Shangti Daju, stressed the need to strengthen patient safety in the management of non-communicable diseases (NCDs), saying patients require safe and continuous care throughout their treatment journey.

Daju noted that NCD care often involves screening, diagnosis, medication, referrals and regular monitoring, stressing that every stage presents an opportunity to provide quality care and prevent avoidable harm.

She said patient safety goes beyond preventing errors to building safety into the design and delivery of healthcare.

According to her, this requires clear standards, supported health workers, reliable information, stronger referral systems and a culture of learning and continuous improvement.

She added that patient safety remains central to the government’s mandate to save lives, reduce physical and financial pain, and achieve better health outcomes for Nigerians.