Qatar’s Ministry of Public Health (MoPH) concluded its 12th annual Patient Safety Week on September 23, focusing this year on improving safe care for individuals living with non-communicable diseases (NCDs). The week-long event took place from September 17 to 23 under the theme "Safe Care for Non-communicable Diseases" and the slogan "Safe Care for Life!"
The initiative emphasized enhancing safety practices throughout the entire care continuum for NCD patients, including prevention, screening, early detection, diagnosis, treatment, medication management, and long-term follow-up. Activities aimed to raise awareness about the risks associated with chronic diseases and the importance of safe medication use.
Dr. Ameena Ibrahim al-Fakhroo, acting director of the MoPH Healthcare Quality Department, attributed the program’s success to strong partnerships and cross-sector collaboration among participating organizations. She noted that since 2014, the ministry’s sustained efforts have contributed to fostering a culture of safety and quality while supporting resilient and adaptive health systems.
As part of the campaign, 24 landmarks and public buildings across Qatar were illuminated in orange to mark World Patient Safety Day. A multilingual media campaign ran concurrently, communicating messaging on disease prevention, medication safety, and risk reduction related to NCDs.
An awareness and health event held at the ministry’s main building drew over 200 attendees. The event featured services such as medication reconciliation, clinical medication reviews, health screenings, body composition analyses, and educational activities covering nutrition, vaccinations, smoking cessation, mental health, physical activity, and patient safety. During the event, winners of the “Step Challenge 2026,” a physical activity competition, were also recognized.
The week included a specialized webinar titled “Enhancing Patient Safety and Quality of Care Across the Non-communicable Disease Care Journey,” which attracted 1,442 healthcare professionals, experts, and relevant stakeholders. Speakers representing the World Health Organization Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean (WHO/EMRO), the World Innovation Summit for Health (WISH), Qatar University, Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC), patient groups, and the Qatar Cancer Society participated in the session.
Additionally, an international online workshop was conducted in collaboration with the BMJ Group, the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI), and HMC. This workshop focused on strengthening patient safety and healthcare quality in managing NCDs.
Across Qatar, various healthcare institutions organized supplementary awareness and educational activities targeted at both patients and healthcare workers, extending the reach of the week’s messages. The Ministry of Public Health supported these initiatives by providing guidance, sharing information, and participating in numerous events aimed at promoting patient safety throughout the healthcare system.