WPA CEO Joins Faculty of University of Kalisz , Poland
The WPA is proud to announce that Dr. Hussain Jafri, Chief Executive Officer of WPA, has joined the faculty of the University of Kalisz in Poland as an Assistant Professor at the newly established Institute for Patient Safety Research. This marks a significant milestone in WPA’s ongoing efforts to strengthen global capacity in patient safety and health equity through academic collaboration and research.
The Institute for Patient Safety Research has been established through a strategic partnership between the University of Kalisz and the World Patients Alliance. This collaboration aims to provide a strong foundation for advancing patient safety by promoting research, education, and policy dialogue around critical health issues such as chronic diseases, digital health, and patient engagement.
The core objectives of the Institute include:
• Developing and delivering specialized training programs for students, healthcare providers, and patients
• Conducting joint research initiatives on patient safety and other important healthcare issues such as non-communicable diseases (NCDs)
• Promoting knowledge exchange on e-health and health system resilience
• Organizing international conferences, workshops, and webinars to foster multi-stakeholder engagement and public awareness
During his recent visit to the University of Kalisz, Dr. Jafri delivered a powerful lecture on 17 June 2025 to faculty and students on the Global Crisis of Patient Safety. His presentation highlighted the staggering scale of harm caused by unsafe healthcare practices, particularly in low- and middle-income countries where over 134 million adverse events occur annually, leading to approximately 2.6 million preventable deaths. He emphasized that unsafe care ranging from medication errors and misdiagnosis to unsafe surgeries poses a global challenge that transcends income levels.
Dr. Jafri also discussed the WHO’s initiatives such as the Global Patient Safety Programme and the annual World Patient Safety Day, with the 2025 theme being “Safe care for every newborn and every child.” He stressed the need to prioritize patient and family engagement echoing the Alma Ata Declaration and the WHO PFPS initiative as critical components of achieving safer, people-centered care. Drawing on WPA’s impact, he shared examples of successful global outreach, including the Patient Voices platform, development of safety education tools for children, and over 2,200 global events organized since 2021.
In addition to the academic engagements, a high-level planning meeting was convened to finalize the scope and forthcoming activities of the Institute. The meeting was attended by senior university leadership, including:
• Prof. Andrzej Wojtyla, Rector of the University of Kalisz
• Prof. Katarzyna Sygit, Pro-Rector for Science
• Prof. Wojciech Drygas, Director of the Institute for Patient Safety Research
• Ms. Jolanta Bilinska, Deputy Director of the Institute and a founding leader of patient advocacy in Europe
This collaboration signifies a long-term commitment to embed patient safety into health systems and academic curricula. WPA extends its appreciation to the University of Kalisz for this pioneering partnership and looks forward to jointly advancing a shared vision of safer healthcare for all.
