The World Health Organisation (WHO) estimates that patient harm is the 14th leading cause of the global disease burden, alike illnesses such as tuberculosis and malaria. In some European countries, the burden of patient harm is comparable to that of chronic diseases (e.g. multiple sclerosis and some types of cancer). Statistics show that strategies to reduce the rate of adverse events in the European Union alone would lead to the prevention of more than 750 000 harm-inflicting medical errors per year, leading in turn to over 3.2 million fewer days of hospitalization, 260 000 fewer incidents of permanent disability, and 95 000 fewer deaths per year.
The Declaration for Patient Safety aims to call upon health authorities, policymakers, healthcare professionals, providers and patients to join hands to prevent unnecessary harms in healthcare by promoting safer health systems and high quality standards on patient safety across Europe.
You can download the Declaration and its Working Document below. All the information on the Declaration can be found in the dedicated webpage: