With the risk of acquiring an infection or dying in a hospital far greater than flying on an airplane, the WHO on Wednesday announced the appointment of Sir Liam Donaldson, formerly Britain’s chief medical officer, as its envoy for patient safety, PostMedia News/Vancouver Sun reports (Edwards, 7/22).

“Hundreds of millions of people suffer infections linked to health care each year,” Reuters reports (Nebehay, 7/21). “With this nomination, WHO is signaling the importance of ensuring that patients get safe, high quality health care all around the world,” WHO Director-General Margaret Chan said in a statement (7/21).