From November 18th to 24th, World Antibiotic Awareness Week aims to increase global awareness about the misuse of antibiotics and the risks posed by resistant bacteria.

Timely and targeted antimicrobial stewardship in the context of appropriate urgent therapy represents the cornerstone of effective sepsis therapy. Adult patients who receive antimicrobials within three hours of sepsis recognition have increased chances of survival. Similarly, in children with sepsis and septic shock, several cohorts report substantially better outcomes in those who receive timely intravenous antibiotics. We remain mindful that antimicrobial resistance represents a serious threat: it has been estimated that AMR contributes to at least 10% of sepsis deaths worldwide.

Over the past years, stimulating controversy on the use of antibiotics in sepsis treatment has perhaps overlooked that the aims of sepsis campaigns in fact closely align with the global agenda on antimicrobial stewardship: delivering the right antimicrobial for the right patient, and stopping antibiotics where they are no longer necessary.

The Surviving Sepsis Campaign recommends, in fact, to initiate sepsis treatment with broad-spectrum antibiotics covering the main likely pathogens, followed by narrowing to targeted therapy if a pathogen or source is identified, and stopping antimicrobial therapy if bacterial or fungal infection is felt unlikely to be the cause. Indiscriminate administration of early antibiotics is not only unnecessary but may also lead to increased costs and adverse effects on the patients or their community, such as the spread of increased antimicrobial resistance.

AMR was one of the themes of this years’ World Sepsis Congress Spotlight - the talks and presentations are available here. The Global Sepsis Alliance and the World Sepsis Day Movement strongly believe that prompt sepsis treatment can be achieved with the responsible and effective use of antimicrobials.

The World Health Organization and many other organizations produce material and organize events to encourage best practices among the general public, health workers, and policymakers to avoid the further emergence and spread of drug-resistant infections – we encourage you to join their campaign.

World Prematurity Day on 17 November is one of the most important days in the year to raise awareness of the challenges and burden of preterm birth globally. Initiated by EFCNI and European parent organizations in 2008 and joined by the US organization March of Dimes, the African organization LittleBigSouls, and the Australian National Premmie Foundation in 2010, individuals and organizations from across the world now join forces with activities and events to draw attention to the topic of preterm birth and improve the situation of preterm babies and their families.

The symbol for World Prematurity Day is the socksline. The small pair of purple socks - framed by nine full-size baby socks - symbolizes: 1 in 10 babies is born preterm. Worldwide.

This year’s global World Prematurity Day motto is “World Prematurity Day 2020: Together for babies born too soon – Caring for the future”, highlighting that investing in the care of this vulnerable patient group is an investment in the future generation. With worldwide approximately 15 million babies being born preterm each year, this would be a stand to improve the lives of many children and their families.

Babies born prematurely often have a weakened immune system, also they are more likely to receive intensive medical treatment, making them especially susceptible to sepsis.

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The article above was written by Sarah Fuegenschuh, Head of Communications, EFCNI. Thanks, Sarah!

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On November 10th, 2020, the Board of the Global Sepsis Alliance elected Niranjan ‘Tex’ Kissoon as the new President of the Global Sepsis Alliance. Tex succeeds Konrad Reinhart, who co-founded and successfully led the GSA since its inception in 2010. Although Konrad stepped down as President earlier this month, he will remain on the GSA Executive Committee.

Tex is the Executive Medical Director of Children’s and Women’s Global Health at BC Children’s Hospital in Vancouver, Canada, and Professor at the University of British Columbia. He has an extensive background in pediatrics, emergency medicine, and critical care. He has been serving as Vice President of the Global Sepsis Alliance previously and has been an important pillar of the GSA from the very beginning.

“I am grateful for your support and confidence in me to lead the GSA. There is much to be done. I look forward to the challenges but success depends on all of us. I am excited to harness our collective talent and energies to continue to fight against sepsis. A world free of sepsis is worth the effort.”

— Tex Kissoon, President Global Sepsis Alliance

The team here at the GSA HQ wishes to congratulate Tex and is thrilled to continue to be working with him. Here’s to changing the world for the better.

Update Nov 19th, 2020: The 10% discount has been extended to November 30th, 2020. Happy shopping!

Original article:

With our brand new WSD Face Masks, you can fight COVID-19 whilst also expressing your support for World Sepsis Day. They are on sale now for just 9€, with worldwide shipping available.

To celebrate the launch of our new masks, you can get 10% off your entire order as long as it includes at least one face mask – just use the code FACEMASK at checkout. Offer valid for the next 14 days. This is a great opportunity to stock up on t-shirts, stickers, thumb drives, and much more.

The mask is high-quality black material, with our logo in white. It is highly breathable with an included filter, comfortable, reusable, washable, sustainable, easy to take on or off, and even has adjustable ear straps.

Accompanying our mask is a new infographic detailing how to wear and handle your mask safely.

P.S.: While our new WSD Face Masks say ‘Stop Sepsis Save Lives’, wearing a mask does not necessarily stop sepsis. Our logo on the mask simply promotes the fight against sepsis. However, it can help prevent infections like COVID-19, which is known to lead to sepsis in more severe cases. Please refer to our infographics on how to identify signs of sepsis requiring medical attention.

Every November, Movember is celebrated all around the world, raising awareness for men’s health, especially focused on mental health, suicide prevention, as well as prostate and testicular cancer.

This year, with a raging pandemic holding the world hostage, the work of the Movember Foundation has never been more important – and they have never needed your support more.

Although sepsis does not primarily affect males - it strikes women and men about equally - we encourage you to join the noble cause of Movember this year, by growing a mo to save a bro, move 60km, host an mo-ment, get involved on social media, and more.

The sixth and final session from the 2020 World Sepsis Congress Spotlight is now available on YouTube (embedded above) and as a Podcast on Apple Podcasts (just search for World Sepsis Congress in your favorite podcast app).

It was chaired by Ron Daniels from the United Kingdom, and features the following presentations and speakers:

• Keynote: Bringing the Fight Against Sepsis to the Next Level – Konrad Reinhart, Global Sepsis Alliance, Germany

• Management and Treatment of Possible Serious Bacterial Infection in Infants in Resource-Limited Settings  – Shally Awasthi, King George‘s Medical University, India

• The Role of the Pathogen in the Management of Sepsis – Arjen Dondorp, Asia Pacific Sepsis Alliance, Thailand

• Pediatric Sepsis: Guidelines and More – Rana Sharara-Chami, American University of Beirut Medical Center, Lebanon

• The Role of Sepsis and AMR for Patient Safety – Abdulelah Al-Hawsawi, Saudi Patient Safety Center, Saudi Arabia

This was the final session of the 2020 WSC Spotlight: Sepsis, Pandemics, and Antimicrobial Resistance – Global Health Threats of the 21st Century. All sessions and presentations are now available on our YouTube Channel, Apple Podcasts, and the congress website.

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The WSC Spotlight: Sepsis, Pandemics, and Antimicrobial Resistance – Global Health Threats of the 21st Century is co-organized by the World Health Organization and the Global Sepsis Alliance, initiator of World Sepsis Day and World Sepsis Congress.

The World Health Summit is one of the world's leading strategic conferences for global health – it brings together leading international scientists, politicians, and representatives from industry and civil society.

Usually an in-person conference in Berlin, Germany, this years special situation has made the 2020 World Health Summit an entirely digital conference. This is a great opportunity for you to participate and enjoy the 50 sessions and 300 speakers – interactive and free of charge, without a registration.

The core topic of the World Health Summit 2020 is COVID-19: Current knowledge about the virus, new strategies in the worldwide fight against pandemics, and the role of Europe and the WHO in global health. Other topics include the UN Sustainability Development Goals (SDGs), climate change, and the latest approaches in health research.

The World Health Summit 2020 welcomes 300 speakers, including but not limited to:

• Frank-Walter Steinmeier, Federal President - Germany

• Jens Spahn, Minister of Health - Germany

• Michelle Bachelet, High Commissioner for Human Rights - United Nations

• Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General - World Health Organization

Global health can only be improved by strengthening partnerships and international cooperation. That is why the World Health Summit actively facilitates and promotes the constructive exchange between stakeholders from all sectors in an environment of academic freedom. During the three-day summit, leading experts from science, politics, industry, and civil society discuss solutions for improving global health care.

At the end of each World Health Summit, the "M8 Alliance Declaration", a final declaration with recommendations for action for international policymakers, is drafted. The "M8 Alliance of Academic Health Centers, Universities and National Academies" is the academic backbone of the World Health Summit and currently consists of 28 academic institutions in 19 countries, including the association of National Academies of Medicine in 130 countries.

Participation in the digital World Health Summit is free of charge and possible without registration; each session can be accessed via a link in the program. There you will also find details on sessions, topics, and speakers.

The fifth session from the 2020 World Sepsis Congress Spotlight is now available on YouTube (embedded above) and as a Podcast on Apple Podcasts (just search for World Sepsis Congress in your favorite podcast app).

It was chaired by Folasade Ogunsola from Nigeria, and features the following presentations and speakers:

• WHO IPC Strategy to Prevent AMR and Sepsis – Benedetta Allegranzi, World Health Organization, Switzerland

• Keynote: Preventing Infection and Improving Health in LMICs: Lessons Learned from Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene Programmes  – Kelly Ann Naylor, UNICEF, United States of America

• The Impact of BCG Vaccination on COVID-19 and Respiratory Infections – Evangelos Giamarellos, European Sepsis Alliance, Greece

• Preventing Sepsis and AMR in ICU Patients – Mervyn Mer, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa

Sessions are released weekly on Tuesdays. The next session will be ‘Early Identification and Appropriate Clinical Management of Sepsis Saves Lives and Prevents AMR ’ on 20 October 2020.

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The WSC Spotlight: Sepsis, Pandemics, and Antimicrobial Resistance – Global Health Threats of the 21st Century is co-organized by the World Health Organization and the Global Sepsis Alliance, initiator of World Sepsis Day and World Sepsis Congress.