Why Must Patient Safety Start in the Community?

Despite many efforts to improve patient safety during the past years, morbidity and mortality rates are still alarmingly high. Maternal and children mortality are major health issues in the third world, while sudden cardiac death is the third leading cause of death in industrialised nations - and higher rates of bystander cardiopulmonary resuscitation increase survival by factor 2-4.

This is why joint efforts gained increasing importance for the improvement of health in all humans - irrespective of their origin and age. Present low-threshold and low-cost concepts such as school children education in cardiopulmonary resuscitation found in the "Kids Save Lives" initiative should be implemented in developing and developed countries, and safety for mothers and children need further support by politics, societies, and industry.