Nigeria Pledges Safer Care For Children On World Patient Safety Day
Nigeria has renewed its commitment to improving patient safety for newborns and children as the world marked the 2025 World Patient Safety Day. Delivering a speech in Abuja on Wednesday, the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof Muhammad Ali Pate said the theme of this year’s campaign, “Safe care for every newborn and […]
Nigeria has renewed its commitment to improving patient safety for newborns and children as the world marked the 2025 World Patient Safety Day.
Delivering a speech in Abuja on Wednesday, the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof Muhammad Ali Pate said the theme of this year’s campaign, “Safe care for every newborn and every child”, aligns with the country’s priorities of reducing risks in paediatric and neonatal care.
Pate emphasised that beyond being a cornerstone of global health solidarity, the commemoration is also a timely reminder of the timeless medical principle, which is; ‘First, do no harm.’ He stressed that patient safety must begin at birth to give children a safe start in life.
The World Health Organization (WHO) launched the annual observance to draw attention to the global challenge of avoidable harm in healthcare delivery. Each year, the day focuses on a key aspect of patient safety, with the 2025 edition spotlighting newborns and children who remain among the most vulnerable populations.
Represented by the Director of Hospital Services Department, Dr Jimoh Salaudeen, the Minister said: “Studies have shown that adverse events remain far too common in paediatric and newborn care, with risks as high as 91% in intensive care units and more than 50% in general paediatric wards.”
He noted that the figures represent real children and families whose lives have been disrupted by preventable harm, adding that Nigeria has made progress through maternal and child health programmes, immunisation drives, neonatal care, and continuous training of health workers.
“Ladies and gentlemen, safe care for every child is not just a healthcare goal. It is a moral imperative and a social responsibility. From safe childbirth and postnatal care to immunization safety. infection prevention, and the early recognition of complications, we must ensure that no child is left behind or suffers consequences for lack or inappropriate use of interventions.”
“On behalf of the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, I call upon all stakeholders, healthcare providers, parents, communities, development partners, and civil society to join hands in this noble mission. Together, we can eliminate avoidable harm and give every Nigerian child the gift of safe and quality care,” he said.
In his goodwill message, the Head of Mission for the World Health Organisation (WHO), Dr Alex Gasasira, said the commemoration was a reminder that patient safety is central to building resilient health systems and achieving global health goals. He noted that newborns and children are disproportionately exposed to unsafe care, stressing that poor quality, rather than access alone, remains a major driver of mortality in low- and middle-income countries.
Gasasira, who was represented by Dr Martin Chabi Joseph, highlighted the urgent need for governments, health professionals, and civil society to adopt sustainable strategies that protect children in all care settings. He said WHO standards, already endorsed by Member States, are improving care for mothers and newborns but called for greater investment to accelerate progress.
He warned that poor quality care accounts for an estimated 60% of maternal deaths and 56% of neonatal deaths in low- and middle-income countries. “These are lives we can and must save.”
He further reiterated WHO’s commitment to strengthening partnerships with Nigeria, while congratulating the Ministry on the implementation of the National Patient Safety and Care Quality Policy & Implementation Strategy-2024. This policy, he said, conveys clear policy statements, strategic approaches, legal framework as well as monitoring and evaluation plans to ensure a minimized risk for patients, including children, as they access care in Nigeria.
He assured that the global body would continue to support the government in making healthcare safer for all, noting that the vision of the Global Patient Safety Action Plan 2021–2030 is “a world in which no patient is harmed in health care, and everyone receives safe care, every time, everywhere.”
Earlier in his welcome address, the Director of Hospital Services, Dr Jimoh Salaudeen, represented by the Head of the Patient Safety Desk, Dr Gilbert Shetak, restated Nigeria’s commitment to safeguarding its youngest and most vulnerable, stressing the need to prioritise evidence-based practices from birth through childhood.
To ensure that infants and newborns remain safe, Salaudeen said Nigeria is strengthening birth safety protocols, boosting infection control in neonatal ICUs, and tailoring treatments to children’s needs as part of building a stronger culture of safety.