Kigali, Rwanda | 18 September 2026
The Africa Public Health Foundation (APHF) joined health leaders, regulators, pharmaceutical manufacturers, policymakers, clinical experts and patient advocates at the inaugural Africa Patient Safety Summit (APSS), held on 16–17 September 2026 at the Africa Medicines Agency (AMA) headquarters in Kigali, Rwanda.
Representing APHF at the Summit, Chief Executive Officer Dr Ambrose Otau Talisuna welcomed the focus on preventing medication-related harm and protecting patients across Africa.
Held under the theme “Working Together to Prevent Medication-Related Harm and Protect Patients Across Africa,” the Summit, convened by Medicines for Africa (MFA) in partnership with the Africa Medicines Agency (AMA), provided a platform for stakeholders to strengthen collaboration and translate shared commitments on patient safety into practical action.
Dr Talisuna emphasized that patient safety must be addressed as more than a medicines and medical devices issue. It should be positioned within the broader agenda of health systems strengthening, ensuring that the systems, people, infrastructure, financing and information needed to deliver safe care are strengthened together.
Strengthening the foundations of patient safety
Strengthening the foundations of patient safetyDr Talisuna highlighted several areas requiring sustained attention across African health systems, including:
- Strong governance, leadership and coordination to establish accountability and effective patient safety frameworks;
- Safe and reliable service delivery systems that ensure access to essential health services across the life course;
- Community engagement and empowerment to support early detection, risk communication and trust;
- Sustainable financing and stronger domestic and external resource mobilisation for patient safety;
- Patient safety information systems and digital technologies to strengthen surveillance, reporting and health-system intelligence;
- A safe and adequately supported health workforce, supported through quality education, recruitment, deployment, retention and career development;
- Safe and resilient health infrastructure, including laboratories, health facilities and theatres; and
- Robust procurement and supply-chain systems to ensure reliable access to quality medicines, diagnostics and other essential health commodities.
The Summit also highlighted the importance of learning from patient experiences and strengthening systems that prevent harm rather than simply respond after harm has occurred.
Putting patients and communities at the centre
In his reflections, Dr Talisuna stressed that structural health-system reforms alone will not be sufficient. Patient advocacy groups and communities must be empowered to play an active role in identifying risks, strengthening accountability and helping translate policies into safer practices.
“Strong health systems are the foundation for patient safety but patient advocacy, clinical safety protocols and research on system-wide patient safety goals will be needed to assure patient safety in Africa.”
For APHF, this aligns with its commitment to building long-term partnerships and mobilising investments that strengthen Africa’s public health systems and institutions.
The inaugural Africa Patient Safety Summit marks an important opportunity to build stronger continental collaboration around patient safety and to advance health systems that are safer, more responsive and better equipped to protect every patient.
APHF remains committed to forging partnerships and mobilising resources and investments that support stronger public health systems across Africa.
