This archive report was first published on 17 September 2019.
On September 17, 2019, the world marked the first World Patient Safety Day, with the theme 'Speak up for patient safety!' The day aimed to raise awareness on the prevention of errors and adverse effects to patients associated with healthcare.
Kenya's healthcare system is under strain, with patients facing risks of unintended harm due to poor patient safety and lack of standards. According to the World Health Organization, Low and Middle Income Countries like Kenya have two-thirds of the global burden of patient harm.
Medication-related patient-harm is a significant contributor to these risks in Kenya, stemming from unregulated self-medication, bad prescription practices, substandard medicines, and unsafe administration of drugs by medics.
Experts advocate for a systemic evaluation of the root causes of these issues, including good training of medics, equipping them with the right diagnostic tools, employing adequate numbers, and maintaining norms and standards in facilities.
Recent initiatives, such as the Kenya Accreditation Services Act 2019, aim to promote accreditation and standardization of care, empowering patients in the care cycle, and adopting outcomes measurement as tools to assess and audit health services.
