On 17 September 2026, the Association for Stroke and Aphasia is bringing together patient organisations, health professionals, public institutions, local government representatives and the media for a press conference in Sofia, Bulgaria, marking World Patient Safety Day. Held at the Bulgarian News Agency Press Club, the event is organised under the theme “A Safer Sofia, a Healthier Bulgaria: Safe Care for Life.” Its central message is that patient safety must extend beyond a single medical intervention or hospital stay and become a continuous commitment throughout every stage of life and care.
The initiative focuses on people living with chronic noncommunicable diseases, including stroke and other cerebrovascular conditions, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, cancer, epilepsy and multiple sclerosis. Although these conditions differ, patients and their families face many shared challenges: timely diagnosis, access to appropriate treatment, safe use of medicines and medical devices, rehabilitation, long-term follow-up, social support and meaningful participation in community life. The event highlights that every person has the right to safe, coordinated and person-centred care, regardless of diagnosis.
Participants include representatives of the Association for Stroke and Aphasia, the Bulgarian Diabetes Association, the MS – Together to the Top Foundation, the Bulgarian Hypertension League, the Bulgarian Stroke Society, the Bulgarian Industrial Association and Sofia Municipal Council. Representatives of the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Labour and Social Policy, Sofia Municipality, the National Center of Public Health and Analyses and other stakeholders are also invited to contribute. By connecting patient advocates, clinicians, policymakers, social services, academia and employers, the conference seeks to strengthen cooperation around practical and sustainable solutions.
A key outcome of the event is the presentation and adoption of a joint declaration calling for an integrated system of safe lifelong care in Sofia. The declaration addresses the entire patient journey: prevention, screening, diagnosis, treatment, self-care, rehabilitation, follow-up and palliative care. It calls for stronger measures to prevent delayed diagnoses, medication errors, healthcare-associated infections, inappropriate use of medical devices and gaps in monitoring. It also stresses that patients and their organisations should be equal partners in identifying risks, shaping services and developing policy.
The declaration further proposes the establishment of a Sofia Forum for Safe Care for Life. The forum would develop concrete recommendations to improve prevention of chronic noncommunicable diseases, coordination between health and social services, access to rehabilitation and community support, and patient safety across the full continuum of care. It would also create a structured space for patients and families to participate actively in decisions that affect them.
Through the press conference, joint declaration, media questions and individual interviews, the organisers aim to increase public understanding of patient safety as a lifelong responsibility shared across institutions and sectors. The initiative presents Sofia as a potential model for partnership in chronic disease care and demonstrates how local action can contribute to broader national progress. Its message is clear: safer care depends on prevention, continuity, coordination and the lived experience of patients. By working together, Bulgaria can build a system that protects people not only during acute treatment, but throughout their lives.