Putting patient safety at the heart of Africa’s health agenda
Medicines for Africa works to protect patients from medication-related harm and enable safe access to treatment and care.
Medication-related harm is a major patient safety concern across Africa. Yet patient safety has not received the sustained attention it deserves. Through APSS, MFA brings patients, healthcare professionals, regulators and other stakeholders together to turn experience and evidence into practical action.
Patient safety cannot remain an implied outcome of pharmacovigilance. It has to become an explicit public-health priority, with patients at the centre of the system.
From priorities to practical action
The 2026 Leadership Forum defined shared priorities for preventing medication-related harm across Africa. Medicines for Africa is now taking these priorities forward through the development of practical projects and the Africa Patient Safety Compact—connecting institutions, patient experience and evidence to support action and learning.
Priorities defined
The 2026 Leadership Forum defined shared priorities for preventing medication-related harm, drawing on patient, clinical, regulatory, research and industry perspectives.
Developing practical projects
MFA is translating these priorities into projects designed to test approaches in real settings and generate learning for wider action.
Building a shared framework
The Africa Patient Safety Compact is being developed alongside practical projects, connecting shared ambition with institutional responsibilities and learning.
Contribute to practical action
Effective patient-safety action needs clinical experience, patient perspectives and institutional commitment. Contact MFA to explore how your organisation could contribute to this work.
The 2026 Leadership Forum
The inaugural APSS Leadership Forum was held in partnership with the African Medicines Agency at AMA headquarters in Kigali on 16–17 September 2026. Participants brought patient, clinical, regulatory, research and industry perspectives into discussions on preventing medication-related harm.
The road to APSS 2027
The next Summit is planned for 2027. Patient experience and learning from implementation will help shape its priorities and inform wider collaboration. Further details will be announced as plans develop.
2026 Leadership Forum partners and sponsors
