A Policy Brief by Wafi Ara Faruqui, Nidhi Nagabhatla, Taufique Joarder, Md Aminuul Hassan and Sharif Mohammed Sadat, titled Strengthening Patient Advocacy in South Asia: Aligning Regional Action with the WHO Global Patient Safety Action Plan (2021-2023), has been selected to present at ACUNS.
Abstract:
Poor quality healthcare remains a major cause of preventable harm worldwide; the burden is acute mostly in the low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) due to unsafe healthcare practices. South Asia records some of the world’s highest rates of healthcare associated preventable harms due to poor quality of healthcare, highlighting the urgent need for strengthening patient safety and advocacy.
Despite global and regional commitments under the WHO Global Patient Safety Action Plan (2021-2030) and Regional Strategy for Patient Safety (2016-2025) by WHO SEARO, patient advocacy remains an underdeveloped issue in South Asia’s health system. This policy brief calls for the establishment of a regional advocacy network such as South Asian Patient Safety and Advocacy Network (SAPSAN) to institutionalize patient advocacy, unify regional priorities and align national actions with global patient safety frameworks. A cohesive regional framework would help to bridge the existing governance gaps, empower patients within and across borders, and embed their voices at the heart of South Asia’s health reform agenda