In the realm of global health, the World Patient Safety Day 2025 Webinar on Goal 4: Prevent health care-associated infections, is a beacon of hope and a call to action. This webinar series, under the theme "Safe care for every newborn and every child: Patient safety from the start!", is a testament to the World Health Organization's (WHO) commitment to ensuring that every newborn and child receives safe and quality healthcare. The webinar, scheduled for Thursday, May 7, 2026, from 14:00 to 15:30 CEST, is a crucial step towards achieving this goal. But what makes this webinar series truly remarkable is the focus on infection prevention and control, a critical aspect of patient safety that is often overlooked. Personally, I think this webinar series is a much-needed initiative, as it addresses a critical global health priority - ensuring safe care for every newborn and child. What makes this particularly fascinating is the emphasis on embedding patient safety principles early in life and across the continuum of maternal, newborn, and child health services. This is a bold move, as it challenges the traditional approach of treating patient safety as an afterthought. From my perspective, the webinar series is a step in the right direction, as it brings together global experts and practitioners to discuss real-world implementation, challenges, and solutions to reduce avoidable harm. One thing that immediately stands out is the focus on infection prevention and control, which is a critical aspect of patient safety that is often overlooked. What many people don't realize is that children are particularly vulnerable to preventable harm due to developmental factors, dependency on caregivers, complex medication dosing requirements, diagnostic uncertainty, and increased susceptibility to health care-associated infections. This raises a deeper question: why are we not doing more to prevent these infections? In my opinion, the webinar series is a call to action for healthcare workers, leaders, managers, and policymakers to take a proactive approach to infection prevention and control. It is a reminder that patient safety is not just a responsibility, but a duty, and that we must work together to ensure that every newborn and child receives safe and quality healthcare. The webinar series is also a testament to the power of collaboration. Co-hosted by the WHO, the International Pediatric Association, and the Child Health Task Force, it brings together diverse stakeholders to share knowledge, experiences, and best practices. This is a powerful example of how collaboration can drive positive change and improve health outcomes. However, the webinar series is not without its challenges. As the flyer notes, the implementation of Goal 4 requires coordinated action by governments, health professionals, professional associations, civil society, and families globally. This is a significant undertaking, and it will require a sustained commitment and effort from all stakeholders. In conclusion, the World Patient Safety Day 2025 Webinar on Goal 4: Prevent health care-associated infections, is a crucial step towards ensuring safe care for every newborn and child. It is a call to action for healthcare workers, leaders, managers, and policymakers to take a proactive approach to infection prevention and control. It is also a testament to the power of collaboration and the potential for positive change. As we move forward, it is essential that we continue to support and promote initiatives like this webinar series, as they are critical to improving health outcomes and strengthening the quality of care across health systems. This webinar series is a shining example of how we can work together to create a safer and healthier world for every newborn and child.
