In Santiago, Chile last week, the VI Global Ministerial Summit on Patient Safety took place. During her speech, Mary Lou Valdez, Deputy Director of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), emphasized the importance of protecting basic conditions of hygiene, health, physical safety, and personal dignity in clinical settings. She reminded that while technical quality in healthcare services is crucial, it is ultimately the experiences of individuals, families, and communities that determine their trust in health services.
Despite progress made in patient safety in the Americas, health systems in the region are still fragmented. This leads to poor quality of care and adverse events that result in patient dissatisfaction and mistrust. Mortality rates attributable to poor quality of care vary widely between countries in the region, ranging from 47 to 350 deaths per 100,000 people.
The goal of this year’s summit was for countries to share their experiences on implementing and sustaining strategies for safe healthcare delivery. Workshops covered topics such as quality assurance methodologies and clinical challenges. The summit also provided support for countries to implement the World Health Organization (WHO) Plan of Action for Patient Safety 2021-2030.
Valdez highlighted PAHO’s commitment to working with countries in the region to develop a culture of quality in delivering comprehensive health services. This includes continuous process improvements and developing financing strategies to optimize health resource allocation. She stressed that reaching the highest standards in healthcare delivery and patient safety is essential to fulfilling PAHO’s mission.
In summary, during the VI Global Ministerial Summit on Patient Safety held last week in Santiago, Chile; Mary Lou Valdez emphasized the importance of protecting basic conditions of hygiene, health
