der Patientensicherheit

World Patient Safety Day is a public engagement initiative presented by Germany’s Aktionsbündnis Patientensicherheit e. V. (APS), a nonprofit association founded in 2005 to improve patient safety in healthcare. The annual observance takes place on 17 September and has been proclaimed by the World Health Organization since 2019. Its goals are to raise public awareness, strengthen understanding, encourage global solidarity and action, and highlight specific patient-safety challenges.

The initiative’s website serves as a platform for healthcare professionals, institutions, patients, and interested members of the public. Visitors can learn about the observance, find events and activities, and share initiatives through an overview map. The site also provides free downloadable print and online materials for events and communication, along with press information, social media resources, interviews, and links to international partner organizations. The 2026 theme focuses on safe care for people with chronic noncommunicable diseases, under the German motto “Safe care for people with chronic conditions—for a good life.” APS invites healthcare organizations and staff across Germany to take part and make patient safety more visible.