There is a 1 in 300 chance of health care-induced injury that equates to thousands of premature deaths daily. Patient safety is a fundamental principle and important measures must be taken to prevent any adverse events. Adverse events may result from problems in practise, products, procedures or systems.
Statistics in developed countries show that as many as 1 in 10 patients are harmed while receiving hospital care. In the African Region, the probability of being harmed in a hospital is higher and the risk of acquiring a health care-associated infection is as much as 20 times higher.
Hand hygiene is the most important measure to prevent health care-associated infections, the development of antimicrobial resistance, and the transmission of harmful germs and viruses. Problems associated with surgical safety account for half of the avoidable adverse events that result in death or disability.
Reuse of injection devices in the absence of sterilization is the greatest concern and leads to the heaviest burden of disease. In some countries, injections given with reused syringes or needles, without sterilization, are as high as 70%. This accounted for an estimated 22 million new hepatitis B infections, 2 million new hepatitis C infections, and 260 000 new HIV infections.