Rare Diseases South Africa Brings “Safe Beginnings” to Charlotte Maxeke for World Patient Safety Day

Johannesburg, South Africa – 17 September 2025 – The bustle of Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Academic Hospital looks a little different today. In the heart of the main corridor, amidst the steady stream of staff, patients, and caregivers, Rare Diseases South Africa (RDSA) has created a space for reflection and action on one of healthcare’s most urgent issues: patient safety.

This year, World Patient Safety Day turns the spotlight on the youngest and most vulnerable among us with the theme “Safe Care for Every Newborn and Every Child” and the slogan “Patient Safety from the Start!”

For RDSA, the theme resonates deeply.

“Families navigating the rare disease journey know all too well how gaps in safety, delays, or errors can shape a child’s life forever,” says Kelly du Plessis, CEO of Rare Diseases South Africa.

“That’s why we wanted to make this message impossible to miss and bring it into the daily rhythm of one of our country’s busiest hospitals.”

With a USD 500 grant from the World Patients Alliance, RDSA’s “Safe Beginnings at Charlotte Maxeke” activation has transformed a hospital corridor into an interactive campaign. Passers-by are greeted with bold multilingual posters, offered button badges carrying the message “Patient safety from the start!”, and invited to engage in conversation with volunteers and patient advocates. A photo “Insta-Frame” adds a playful touch but with a serious purpose: each picture and pledge shared reinforces the collective responsibility to keep children safe in care.

The initiative is designed to be simple yet powerful; meeting people where they are, sparking conversations that last beyond the day, and reminding everyone that safety is not the job of doctors alone but a partnership between healthcare workers, patients, and families.

“We hope that in a single day, more than 300 people, from nurses and doctors to parents and visitors, will walk away wearing a badge, holding a flyer, or remembering a conversation that changes how they think about patient safety,” du Plessis adds.

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Media Contact: Sumaya Moodley (RDSA)

support@rarediseases.co.za | 071 607 6088

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About Rare Diseases South Africa

Rare Diseases South Africa NPC fights to have rare diseases and congenital disorders recognized and treated. By connecting patients, families and patient groups, as well as by bringing together all stakeholders and mobilizing the South African rare disease community, Rare Diseases South Africa strengthens the patient voice and shapes research, policies and patient services.

Improving quality of life takes advocacy, support for research and medicine development, facilitating networking amongst patient groups and caregivers, raising general awareness with key stakeholders and the broader community and providing a platform for key discussions when it comes to inclusive healthcare.

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About World Patient Safety Day

World Patient Safety Day, observed annually on 17 September, is one of WHO’s global public health days. Established in 2019 by the Seventy-second World Health Assembly through resolution WHA72.6 – “Global action on patient safety”.

Rooted in the fundamental principle of medicine – “First do no harm”, its objectives are to increase public awareness and engagement, enhance global understanding and drive global action to improve patient safety. Each year, a new theme highlights a priority area requiring urgent and concerted efforts.

WHO official video for World Patient Safety Day - 2025