 Dear colleagues and friends, WHO is proud to partner with the Patient Safety Movement Foundation in our efforts to eliminate harm in health care. The WHO Global Patient Safety Action Plan 2021-2030 is premised on the principle that patients should always receive safe and respectful care, no matter who they are or where they live. This year's World Patient Safety Day is dedicated to eliminating avoidable harm in maternal and newborn care. Every day, nearly 5,400 babies are stillborn, and 810 women and 6,700 newborns lose their lives. Far too often, this is the result of unsafe care. Moreover, most of these deaths and harm disproportionately affect people in least developed countries and among disadvantaged populations in every country. Due to inequities in access to safe and quality care, no woman or baby should be harmed in health care. That's why WHO is launching guidance for health care facilities and providers around the world on best practices for maternal and newborn safety, particularly around childbirth. WHO calls on all partners to act now for safe and respectful childbirth. We invite you to join us in lighting up a monument in orange in solidarity with women and newborns everywhere. I thank you.