PAHO Urges Enhanced Safety Measures for Newborns and Children on World Patient Safety Day 2025

Washington, D.C.—On September 17, 2025, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) marked World Patient Safety Day by calling on governments, health professionals, and communities across the Americas to prioritize safe and equitable care for newborns and children.

 

Under the theme “Patient safety from the start!”, this year's campaign highlights the unique vulnerabilities of newborns and children, who face increased risks of harm in healthcare settings due to their rapid development and specific needs.

 

In 2020, Latin America and the Caribbean reported that over 800,000 babies were born premature or small for their gestational age, exposing them to preventable conditions such as sepsis and congenital anomalies.

 

Neonatal mortality accounts for more than 50% of child deaths in the region, with prematurity and sepsis among the leading causes.

 

Dr. Jarbas Barbosa, PAHO Director, emphasized, “Every newborn and every child deserves safe, high-quality care from the very first moment of life.”

 

He added that preventable errors like medication mistakes and healthcare-associated infections threaten the future of the most vulnerable.

 

PAHO advocates for simple, effective measures such as handwashing, administration of antenatal steroids, and skin-to-skin contact (kangaroo method) to prevent a significant proportion of deaths in premature babies.

 

In October 2024, PAHO adopted the “Strategy and Plan of Action to reduce the burden of sepsis (2025–2029),” focusing on awareness-raising, infection prevention, hospital hygiene, and equitable access to diagnosis and care, especially for vulnerable populations.

 

Globally, the World Health Organization estimates that one in ten patients suffers harm in healthcare settings due to errors in medication prescribing, diagnosis, or healthcare-associated infections.

 

Children and newborns are particularly vulnerable, with more than half of this harm being preventable.

 

To commemorate World Patient Safety Day, PAHO will host a regional webinar on September 23, featuring experts from Argentina, Brazil, Honduras, the United States, and Caribbean countries.

 

The event will address best practices in child patient safety, digital health, neonatal sepsis prevention, and the role of parents as active partners in care.

 

Iconic monuments worldwide will be illuminated in orange on September 17 as a symbol of solidarity and commitment to safe care from the very beginning of life.

 

The World Health Organization will light up Geneva’s Jet d’Eau and invites communities to join this campaign.