Evangelos Giamarellos-Bourboulis, chair of the European Sepsis Alliance, is honored and excited to invite you to join the 7th Annual Meeting of the ESA in Brussels on March 18, 2024.

“The whole ESA Steering Committee is delighted to welcome in person and online our friends and stakeholders, to exchange learnings and identify challenges and solutions for the fight against sepsis in Europe. We look forward to hearing the perspectives of prominent leaders on the advances in research, policy, and advocacy.”

— Evangelos Giamarellos-Bourboulis, Chair of the ESA

The event “Is Europe Ready to Lead the Global Agenda on Sepsis?” will take place on Monday, March 18, 2024, in Brussels, with registrations now open for both in-person attendance and the free live stream.

2024 is a year of change in many aspects: sepsis is finally being understood by global leaders as a health emergency that must be prioritized and deserves urgent action, if we want to effectively tackle other global priorities such as AMR, pandemic preparedness, patient safety, and health equity.

The European elections on the horizon provide a unique opportunity to include and prioritize sepsis in a renewed European health policy agenda.

Join policymakers, experts, and patients for an engaging discussion that will explore progress, challenges, and successful ways forward in the fight against sepsis in Europe.

On January 31, the UK National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) released updates to the Sepsis Guidelines (NG51).

The guidance is attended for people with suspected sepsis, their families and carers, as well as healthcare professionals working in primary, secondary, and tertiary care.  The latest edition of the document includes updates to the risk stratification of adults, appropriate timing for antibiotic administration for different risk categories, and the reassertion of the importance of clinical judgment. 

Ron Daniels, the Vice President of the Global Sepsis Alliance and the Founder and CEO of the UK Sepsis Trust (UKST):

“We particularly support that the update continues to recommend the identification of high-risk factors, whilst reinforcing the importance of clinical judgment to prevent the injudicious use of antibiotics. The recommendation for GPs and ambulance services to consider how they give antibiotics to people who are at high risk of sepsis is increasingly relevant as transit times increase and could be potentially transformational in terms of patient outcomes.”

— Ron Daniels, GSA Vice President

Based on the new NG51 Sepsis Guidelines, the UK Sepsis Trust has ensured relevant updates to its clinical tools for healthcare practitioners.

Ron Daniels further notes that the revised guidelines present an opportunity to deliver a coordinated and cohesive approach to the recognition and management of sepsis across the National Health Service (NHS).

Dr. Mariam Jashi – CEO of the Global Sepsis Alliance and Secretary General of the Medical Women’s International Association – attended the WHO Executive Board meeting as part of the Non-State Actors (NSA) delegation and had the opportunity to meet Dr. Tedros Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General. 

During the visit on January 22-25, Dr. Jashi delivered 2 statements on sepsis at the WHO Executive Board and met the Heads of Departments and colleagues working on different aspects of sepsis prevention, detection, and management.

GSA’s CEO had a working meeting with Dr. Rudi Eggers, Director of WHO HQ Integrated Health Services Department (IHS), and his colleagues - Prof. Benedetta Allegranzi – Unit Head, Infection Prevention and Control (IPC); Lee A. Wallis – Lead of Emergency Care in Clinical Services and Systems and Emilie Calvello Hynes – Technical Officer of Universal Health Coverage-Life Course Division.

The discussion covered updates on the WHO's work on sepsis tools and guidelines, including the newest release of the WHO website on clinical management of sepsis.

Dr. Jashi briefed colleagues on the latest work of GSA, including the Berlin Declaration, the meeting at UNGA78 in New York, the 2023 WHS Side Event on Sepsis, and the ongoing work on the renewed Global Agenda for Sepsis. 

Dr. Jashi had a parallel working meeting with Dr. Nedret Emiroglu – Director of Country Readiness Strengthening for Health Emergencies at WHO. The discussion covered the need for implementation of the WHA 70.7 Resolution on Sepsis in Emergencies and the ongoing work of the department on the CRR framework. 

Briefly, Dr. Jashi had an opportunity to meet Dr. Anshu Banerjee – Director of Maternal, Newborn, Child, and Adolescent Health & Ageing (MCA) Department and looks forward to closer dialogue and partnership, given the alarming burden of Maternal and Neonatal Sepsis. 

Under the leadership of Dr. Eggers, WHO and GSA agreed to strengthen the bilateral partnership, including regular meetings that will engage colleagues from IHS, Emergency, and MCA Departments of WHO and leadership, and the Regional Sepsis Alliances of the GSA.

Niranjan ‘Tex’ Kissoon, President of the Global Sepsis Alliance, announces the date and theme of the next World Sepsis Congress Spotlight.

On Tuesday, April 23, 2024, the GSA and the Physician-Patient Alliance for Health & Safety (PPAHS) will host the 2024 WSC Spotlight, titled “Unmet Need in Sepsis Diagnosis and Therapy”.

“We are delighted to welcome thousands of colleagues from around the world to another unique opportunity to explore and discuss the latest trends and developments in sepsis practice, research, and innovations.”

— Niranjan ‘Tex’ Kissoon, President

Dr. Niranjan ‘Tex’ Kissoon

As always, the 2024 WSC Spotlight will be free of charge and completely virtual, enabling broad participation from all parts of the world. For years, the WSCs have engaged between 8,000 and 20,000 scholars and practitioners from more than 180 countries.

Over one day and 9 highly relevant sessions, over 40 internationally renowned speakers, panelists, and moderators will address the role of AI, predictive modeling in sepsis, the need for early diagnosis and treatment of sepsis in surgical patients, the role of biomarkers, personalized approaches to sepsis management, how hypervolemia increases the mortality risk in sepsis, community programs to prevent and diagnose sepsis, and much more.

Whatever topic and speaker is most relevant to you, the Program Chairs Louise Thwaites, Board Member of the GSA and APSA, and Michael Wong, Founder and Executive Director of PPAHS, are excited to welcome you on April 23.

Dr. Louise Thwaites

Michael Wong

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Just as with our previous World Sepsis Congresses in 2016, 2018, 2021, and 2023, and WSC Spotlights in 2017, 2020, and 2022, this free online congress brings together highly ranked representatives of international and national healthcare authorities, non-governmental organizations, policymakers, patients, patient advocacy groups, clinical scientists, researchers, and pioneers in healthcare improvement.

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We will share more details on the program, speakers, and exact times later this month – stay tuned.

Dr. Mariam Jashi, CEO of the Global Sepsis Alliance, addressed the 154th Session of the WHO Executive Board to prioritize sepsis in the Universal Health Coverage (UHC) Agenda as well as the new draft global action plan for infection prevention and control (IPC).

For the advancement of the UHC Agenda, Dr. Jashi called the World Health Organization and Member States to urgently prioritize enforcement of the 2017 World Health Assembly Resolution on Sepsis (WHA70.7).

GSA’s CEO reiterated that “We cannot achieve the health-related Sustainable Development Goals and Universal Health Coverage targets without positioning sepsis in the mainstream of the global health architecture. Every year, this medical emergency affects 48 million people, is associated with 1 in every 5 deaths, and yet receives disproportionally low attention.”

In her second statement, Dr. Jashi commended the draft global action plan for IPC for its comprehensive approach but expressed concern that the document does not address evidence-based policies and programs for sepsis, as the final common pathway to death for many infectious diseases.

She reminded the members of the WHO Executive Board and the EB154 Delegates that every year, sepsis claims the lives of 11 million children, women, and men and that this immense human suffering is mostly preventable through IPC measures.

Finally, Dr. Jashi noted that less than 10% of the UN Member States have enforced the historic 70.7 Resolution of the World Health Assembly and recommended that the global action plan for IPC integrates recommendations and indicators for monitoring the implementation of the 2017 Sepsis Resolution.

Dr. Jashi participated at the WHO Executive Committee Meeting as the Secretary General of the Medical Women’s International Association (MWIA), a Non-State Actor in official relations with WHO and one of the key partners of the Global Sepsis Alliance. GSA therefore extends gratitude to MWIA for this opportunity and positioning the cause of sepsis on the agenda of the WHO EB154.

Please see the full recordings of the 2 statements delivered by Dr. Jashi at the WHO Executive Board meeting in Geneva on January 24, 2024, above and below.

In December, Maha Aljuaid – a long-time Board Member of the Global Sepsis Alliance – was honored with The Golden Woman Award, achieving Platinum Level recognition as the most inspiring woman in healthcare. This international award, presented by GOLDEN TREE, recognizes outstanding female achievement.

The award, based on nomination points, has four levels:

• Gold: 60 to 70 points

• Diamond: 71 to 80 points

• Platinum: 81 to 90 points

• Titanium: Over 91 points

Maha's nomination, in her case by a colleague, was subjected to a rigorous evaluation process by a panel of judges. This included a thorough analysis of her accomplishments, her impact on the healthcare industry, and the lasting impact of her work.

This award is a recognition of seventeen years of outstanding performance in clinical, academic, and leadership as well as a recognition of Maha's role in the global advocacy of sepsis.  

The Golden Woman Award not only recognizes outstanding women but also aims to inspire future generations of female achievers. Maha’s Platinum Level achievement underscores her commitment to excellence in healthcare and sets a standard for others in the industry.

On behalf of the whole team here at the Global Sepsis Alliance, we congratulate Maha on this amazing achievement and are honored to continue to work with her.

At the 2024 Critical Care Congress in Phoenix, Arizona, USA – hosted by the Society of Critical Care Medicine (SCCM) – the manuscript ‘International Consensus Criteria for Pediatric Sepsis and Septic Shock’ was presented. It was subsequently published in JAMA (free, open access).

The manuscript defines globally applicable new criteria for pediatric sepsis and septic shock, answering the question of how children with suspected infection at higher risk of mortality, indicative of sepsis, should be identified.

Sepsis remains a global health crisis, with at least 47 million cases every year and at least 11 million deaths – one death every 2.8 seconds. Among them are a disproportionately high number of children in poor areas – more than 40% of all cases are occurring in children under 5.

This post will be updated once more information becomes available.

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Disclosures:

• Luregn Schlapbach, the main author of the manuscript and pictured above, was previously a member of the Board of the Global Sepsis Alliance and serves on the Steering Committee of the European Sepsis Alliance

• Daniela de Souza, a co-author of the manuscript, is a current member of the Board of the GSA

• Niranjan ‘Tex’ Kisson, a co-author of the manuscript, is currently the President of the GSA

• SCCM is a member organization of the GSA

In a landmark meeting held on December 15, 2023, at the Africa CDC headquarters in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, representatives from the African Sepsis Alliance, the Sub-Saharan African ConsorTium for the Advancement of Innovative Research and Care in Sepsis (STAIRS), and the Africa CDC convened to address the pressing issue of sepsis on the continent.

The meeting emphasized the need for urgent action against sepsis in Africa, and was attended by GSA Executive Board members Dr. Emmanuel Nsutebu, ASA Chair, and Dr. Shevin Jacob, representing both ASA and STAIRS.

Participants recognized that Africa bears the highest burden of sepsis globally. Despite a World Health Assembly (WHA) resolution in 2017, minimal action has been taken to improve the prevention, recognition, and management of sepsis on a large scale, in stark contrast to efforts in Europe and North America.

Highlighting the crucial role of accurate data, the meeting underscored that current registries, such as DHIS2, do not systematically capture sepsis cases. Initiatives like the African Research Collaboration on Sepsis (ARCS) and STAIRS are working to address this knowledge gap.

The need for the active involvement of Ministers of Health, supported by Africa CDC, was emphasized. Suggestions included incorporating sepsis discussions into existing meetings or convening an extraordinary session during the International Conference on Public Health in Africa (CPHIA).

The participants stressed the need to engage WHO AFRO, leveraging the 2017 WHA resolution on sepsis, and recognizing the pivotal role the organization plays.

Priority Action Points

Agreed action points included declaring sepsis a regional priority, developing national action plans, generating data and research evidence from Africa, including sepsis as an indicator for the quality of care, and seconding someone from ASA to work alongside Africa CDC.

Agreed Action Plan

Acknowledging the urgency of the situation, the stakeholders formulated a concrete action plan:

• Update the new Africa CDC Director-General about discussions and collaboration agreements by January 2024.

• Identify Africa CDC focal points/champions and share contacts by January 2024.

• Finalize and co-publish a draft policy brief on sepsis by January 2024.

• Organize a joint meeting with WHO AFRO by January 2024.

• Develop a corporate agreement between GSA/ASA and Africa CDC by March 2024.

• Work with regional directors of public health institutes to organize a high-level sepsis meeting at the international CPHIA in Rabat in 2024 by June 2024.

• Work on the secondment from ASA to Africa CDC after the corporate agreement and explore potential funding sources by June 2024.

With these action points in place, the participants collectively declared, "Enough of action plans, it's time for action," emphasizing the imperative for swift and meaningful progress in the fight against sepsis in Africa.