Workshop 1: WHO Global Patient Safety Challenge
Tracks
Track 1
| Sunday, July 12, 2026 |
| 9:00 AM - 11:00 AM |
Details
The World Health Organization (WHO) launched the Global Patient Safety Challenge: Medication Without Harm in 2017, considering the burden of severe preventable patient harm due to medication errors. A strategic framework was proposed with four domains and three action areas and requested countries to prioritize medication safety related activities on these aspects. Many countries have started implementing activities to improve medication safety at country level and at facility level on the strategic framework proposed.
This workshop will aim to inform the progress of the WHO Global Patient Safety Challenge and share experiences from countries. The performance of the Challenge from the Member State Surveys, the medication safety assessment tool and the implementation guide and other WHO resources to support implementation of activities will be presented by the WHO. The other presentations from countries such as Australia, Sri Lanka, India and Ethiopia will share the experiences on implementation of the activities at national and at facility levels.
Speaker
Prof Sarah Hilmer
Kolling Institute, Royal North Shore Hospital, NSLHD and University of Sydney
Responding to the WHO medication without harm challenge: The Australian Experience
Biography
Sarah Hilmer (BScMed(Hons) MBBS(Hons) FRACP PhD) is the head of the department of Clinical Pharmacology and a senior staff specialist in Aged Care at Royal North Shore Hospital. She is Conjoint Professor of Geriatric Pharmacology at The University of Sydney. She is a fellow of the Australian Academy of Health and Medical Scientists (FAHMS) and was awarded a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) for her service to clinical and geriatric pharmacology in 2022. Hilmer’s translational research program in Ageing and Pharmacology at the Kolling Institute includes basic, clinical and population studies to understand the effects of medications and of deprescribing in ageing and frailty.
Sarah is chair of the IUPHAR Clinical and Translational Section and also Chairs its Geriatric Pharmacology Committee.
Session chair
Irina Papieva
World Health Organisation
Caroline Samer
Geneva University Hospital
