Every child deserves to be safe the moment they are born. That’s the focus of this year’s World Patient Safety Day, taking place on 17 September 2025 under the theme: Safe care for every newborn and every child. Organized by the World Health Organization (WHO), the campaign calls attention to the urgent need for better systems, training, and awareness to protect children in healthcare settings.
Why Pediatric Safety Matters
Children are not just small adults. Their bodies and minds are still developing, which makes them more vulnerable to harm in hospitals and clinics. WHO notes that medical errors, unsafe equipment, and hospital-acquired infections are preventable, yet they remain common causes of harm. And when mistakes happen early in life, the effects can last decades.
This is why WHO emphasizes that care must be tailored to children’s unique needs, from newborns in delivery wards to school-aged kids in clinics.
Patient Safety From the Start
The campaign’s slogan—Patient safety from the start!—is more than words. It means:
- Adapting care to a child’s size, age, and development
- Checking treatments and dosages twice
- Recognizing that children’s needs require equal urgency as adults’
WHO connects this directly to global health goals, like ending preventable child deaths by 2030. Safe care at birth and in early childhood is the foundation for healthier futures.
Everyone Has a Role to Play
Improving pediatric safety is not just the responsibility of doctors. Parents, caregivers, and even communities play a role. Parents must feel empowered to ask questions, while hospitals need stronger systems to prevent mistakes. Policymakers should invest in child-friendly facilities and better training for healthcare workers.
This year, WHO is calling for clinics, hospitals, and communities worldwide to light buildings in orange as a symbol of collective action for child safety.
Building Trust Through Safety
Children trust adults to protect them. By ensuring that trust is never broken, healthcare systems can reduce harm and build stronger, healthier families. Safe pediatric care is not optional—it’s a right.
As World Patient Safety Day 2025 approaches, the message is clear: every child deserves safe care from the very first breath.