On Wednesday, Lesotho marked World Patient Safety Day with a powerful new commitment to its youngest citizens, launching the Child-Friendly Communities Initiative, a national movement under the call to action, “#E Seng Ka Ngoana”.
The event, held in Mafeteng, brought together government officials, health partners, and community members to reaffirm the nation’s dedication to ensuring safe and quality healthcare for all children.
The theme for World Patient Safety Day 2025, “Safe Care for Every Newborn and Every Child,” resonated deeply with the day’s events, highlighting the unique risks faced by children due to their rapid growth and evolving health needs.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) Representative, Dr Innocent Nuwagira, stated that in Africa, poor-quality care accounts for a significant percentage of both maternal and neonatal deaths.
He emphasised that Lesotho is no exception, facing high maternal and neonatal mortality rates that demand urgent action on patient safety.
Nuwagira urged countries to raise awareness of safety risks in pediatric care, mobilise health professionals and civil society, empower caregivers, and invest in research to address these issues.
He mentioned the strengthening of infection prevention and control programs, the implementation of Maternal and Perinatal Death Surveillance and Response guidelines, and the adoption of innovative digital solutions like the
The UNICEF Country Representative, Deepak Bhaskaran echoed these concerns, stating that in Lesotho, many deaths among newborns and young children are preventable and result from delays in accessing care, suboptimal service quality, and missed immunisation opportunities.
He emphasised that patient safety is not just a technical issue but a fundamental human right, and for children, it is “non-negotiable”.
The UNICEF Representative declared that achieving the vision of child-friendly communities requires a “whole-of-government and whole-of-society approach”.
The Minister of Health, Selibe Mochoboroane, officially launched the Child-Friendly Communities Initiative, describing it as a “social contract with the children of Lesotho”.
The Minister explained that a child-friendly community is one where every child’s basic rights, including access to healthcare, birth registration, nutrition, clean water, education, and protection are not luxuries but are guaranteed.
He emphasised that the well-being of children is “not negotiable” and that the initiative is committed to prioritising children in all planning, budgeting, and service delivery.
Mochoboroane stated that the success of the initiative and the transformation of the system demand strong collaboration across all sectors, as “no single ministry, no single actor can do this alone”.
Summary
- He mentioned the strengthening of infection prevention and control programs, the implementation of Maternal and Perinatal Death Surveillance and Response guidelines, and the adoption of innovative digital solutions like the.
- He emphasised that patient safety is not just a technical issue but a fundamental human right, and for children, it is “non-negotiable”.
- He emphasised that the well-being of children is “not negotiable” and that the initiative is committed to prioritising children in all planning, budgeting, and service delivery.
Ntsoaki Motaung is an award-winning health journalist from Lesotho, specializing in community health stories with a focus on sexual and reproductive health and rights, as well as HIV. She has contributed to platforms like “Be in the KNOW,” highlighting issues such as the exclusion of people with disabilities from HIV prevention efforts in Lesotho.
In addition to her journalism, Ntsoaki serves as the Country Coordinator for the Regional Media Action Plan Support Network (REMAPSEN). She is also a 2023 CPHIA Journalism Fellow.
