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Medical errors and hospital-acquired infections injure more people each year than flying, but many aren't aware of the risks, the World Health Organization said on Thursday.

According to Sir Liam Donaldson, the WHO's newly-appointed Envoy for Patient Safety, the chances of dying from a medical error in a hospital anywhere in the world is about 1 in 300. That compares with the risk of dying in a plane crash, of about 1 in 10 million passengers.

In a report issued Friday, the WHO noted that medical error and infection rates run as high as 16 per cent of all hospitalized patients worldwide.

The "health-care-associated" infection rate in Canada is one of the worst among developed countries, according to the report, at about 11.6 per cent. In the United States, the rate is as low as 4.5 per cent, while Europe's rate is about 7 per cent.

Many of these infections could be prevented if more healthcare workers cleaned their hands with soap and water, or used an alcohol-based hand rub more often before touching and treating each patient, the WHO said.

The problem with hospital-acquired infections spans every level of economic development, with even the most sophisticated hospitals battling infections that are similar to those in less-developed areas of the world, the report found.

Of every 100 patients hospitalized at any given time, seven in a developed country will acquire at least one health care-associated infection, while 10 to 15 will do so in developing countries.

The severity of the infections can vary significantly. Urinary tract infections related to urinary catheters are the most frequent infection in patients in high-income countries. This type of infection usually has less severe consequences than other infections in terms of complications and death rates.

But in low- and middle-income countries, surgical site infections, which can be very serious, are the most frequent infections, affecting up to one-third of surgical patients.

Even this figure may be underestimated: Some studies have found that most infections are detected after discharge surveillance. Such infections can prolong hospital stays by up to 21 days – a burden in areas where health resources are already stretched.

Donaldson was formerly the chief medical officer for England. In his new role as a patient safety czar, he will help the WHO promote patient safety as a global public health priority, promote solutions and raise awareness of the problem.

"We have come a long way in raising the world's awareness of patient safety, but challenges still remain," said Donaldson.

"Health care has not achieved the level of safety of many other high-risk industries.