Dr. Mariam Jashi Re-Elected as MWIA Secretary General

The Global Sepsis Alliance (GSA) is pleased to announce that its CEO, Dr. Mariam Jashi, has been re-elected as Secretary General of the Medical Women’s International Association (MWIA) during the MWIA 33rd International Congress and General Assembly, held in Cairo, Egypt, in October 2025.

Established in 1919, the Medical Women’s International Association is the world’s oldest international organization dedicated to advancing the rights, health, and well-being of women, girls, and female medical professionals. MWIA has maintained official relations with the World Health Organization since 1954 and has been accredited to the United Nations ECOSOC since 1987. Today, MWIA represents more than 12,000 members across eight regions, including 45 officially affiliated national associations.

Dr. Jashi expresses profound gratitude to Dr. Eleanor Nwadinobi, Immediate Past President of MWIA, and looks forward to collaborating closely with MWIA President, Dr. Amany Asfour, and the newly elected Executive Committee for 2025–2028:

MWIA Executive Committee 2025–2028

 

  • President: Dr. Amany Asfour (Egypt)

  • Secretary General: Dr. Mariam Jashi (Georgia / GSA)

  • Immediate Past President: Dr. Eleanor Nwadinobi (Nigeria)

  • President-Elect: Dr. Mandakini Megh (India)

  • Treasurer: Dr. Eliza Lo Chin, MD, MPH (USA)

  • Vice President (VP) Northern Europe: Dr. Sarah Fitzgibbon (Ireland)

  • VP Central Europe: Dr. Cornelia Tauber-Bachmann (Germany)

  • VP Southern Europe: Dr. Emilia Solinas (Italy)

  • VP North America: Dr. Ramneek Dosanjh (Canada)

  • VP Latin America: Dr. Fatima Regina Abreu Alves (Brazil)

  • VP Near East and Africa: Dr. Joyce Sakala (Zambia)

  • VP Western Pacific: Dr. Chyong-Huey Lai (Taiwan)

  • VP Central Asia: Dr. Vandana Walvekar (India)

Collaboration Between MWIA and GSA

On March 8, 2023, in recognition of International Women’s Day, the Global Sepsis Alliance and the Medical Women’s International Association signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU). Both organizations are committed to jointly advancing the global Sepsis agenda as a vital milestone for improving women’s health.

Why This Matters: Sepsis and Its Impact on Women

  • Sepsis affects 48.9 million people annually and causes 13.7 million deaths every year.

  • 26.2 million cases of Sepsis occur in women, compared to 22.7 million in men.

  • Maternal Sepsis affects an estimated 5.7 million women annually.

  • Tragically, 261,000 mothers die each year from Sepsis related to childbirth.

Since 2023, as a WHO Non-State Actor and ECOSOC-accredited NGO, MWIA has supported the GSA’s high-level advocacy on Sepsis at key global platforms, including the World Health Assembly, UN ECOSOC Commission on the Status of Women, and WHO Executive Board Meetings. Together, GSA and MWIA have convened high-level Sepsis side-events on the margins of the UN General Assembly, World Health Assembly, World Health Summit, and UNITE Summits.

Looking Ahead 

Dr. Mariam Jashi and the GSA leadership look forward to continued collaboration with MWIA under the leadership of Dr. Amany Asfour and the newly elected Executive Committee for 2025-2028 to advance implementation of the 2030 Global Agenda for Sepsis, prevent avoidable morbidity, mortality, and long-term disability due to Sepsis among women and girls and strengthening the capacities of female medical professionals in prevention and management of Sepsis.

 

Katja Couball