Every year on 17 November we raise awareness of the challenges and the global burden of preterm birth on the occasion of World Prematurity Day. Initiated in 2008 by EFCNI and other European parent organizations and joined by the US organization March of Dimes, the African organization LittleBigSouls, and the Australian National Premmie Foundation in 2010, this day wants to honor the 15 million babies that are born preterm every year, worldwide. What started as a small initiative, has become a global movement. Today, individuals and organizations from across the world join forces with activities and events to draw attention to the topic of preterm birth and to eventually improve the situation of preterm babies and their families.

Each year, World Prematurity Day is dedicated to a global motto, which this year is: A parent’s embrace: a powerful therapy. Enable skin-to-skin contact from the moment of birth.

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© EFCNI/GLANCE 2022

This motto is not only intended to emphasize the role of Infant and family-centered development care (IFCDC) in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). It also highlights methods such as skin-to-skin care and Kangaroo Care as powerful practices to promote the health outcomes of preterm and very low birth weight babies from the very beginning.
Compared to their term-born peers, babies born prematurely often have a weaker immune system and are more likely to receive intensive medical treatment, making them especially susceptible to sepsis. An infection can be transferred during invasive medical procedures such as intravenous lines or breathing support by a mechanical ventilator. IFCDC practices such as Kangaroo Care have been shown to reduce severe infections by 65% as they have a positive effect on the temperature regulation of the baby and support breathing, and weight gain.[1]

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[1] Conde-Agudelo A. Cochrane Database Syst Rev 8 (2016)

To kick off World Antimicrobial Awareness Week 2022, the WHO is hosting a free global webinar on infection prevention and control, titled ‘Back to the Future: Inspiring the Next Generation on Hand Hygiene’. Register now to participate virtually and for free this Friday, November 18, at 13:00h Central European Time.

Infection prevention and control (IPC) action is acknowledged as playing a prominent role in curbing emerging and ongoing threats in health-related activities ranging from water, sanitation, and hygiene and health worker and patient safety to preventing specific conditions, such as AMR and sepsis.

Outline

Infection prevention and control (IPC) is essential to prevent the spread of microorganisms both in the context of outbreaks and every day in settings where healthcare is delivered. IPC has a critical role in combating antimicrobial resistance (AMR), essentially through two means:

1. by stopping the spread of antimicrobial-resistant microorganisms, and

2. by reducing the frequency of infection and thus, the need for using antimicrobials which inevitably leads to the emergence of AMR.

Whether implemented as a stand-alone intervention or integrated into multifaceted interventions, hand hygiene has been highlighted as the most effective single measure for reducing the transmission of microorganisms and infection in healthcare settings.

This WHO global webinar will be held in the context of the World Antimicrobial Awareness Week 2022 and is aimed at highlighting the importance of hand hygiene to reduce infection and AMR in healthcare settings. It will also be an exceptional moment to celebrate the career of Professor Didier Pittet whose work and leadership have been revolutionary and paramount in hand hygiene improvement worldwide. Furthermore, other experts who contributed to the research, development, and implementation of innovative strategies for hand hygiene improvement will be part of a panel discussion.

Objectives

• To review innovative approaches that changed the history of hand hygiene promotion

• To understand the adaptation and adoption of evidence-based strategies for hand hygiene improvement worldwide

• To highlight the example of an exceptional global leader and inspire the next generation of leaders on hand hygiene

The webinar will be held in English, with simultaneous interpretation available in Arabic, Chinese, Spanish, Russian, and French.

We are thrilled to invite you to the free webinar ‘Learn About Sepsis and Save Lives in Africa’ on November 22, 2022, at 4 PM Central Africa Time.

The webinar is a collaboration between the World Continuing Education Alliance (WCEA) and the ASA and will feature the following speakers and presentations:

• Epidemiology of sepsis in Africa – presented by Evariste Mushuru, Rwanda

• Sepsis definition and diagnosis – presented by Romeo Bayode, Gabon

• Causes of sepsis in Africa – presented by Patrick Katoto, Democratic Republic of Congo

• Sepsis – initial management – presented by Appollinaire Manirafasha, Rwanda

• Sepsis management in ICU – presented by Kamal Osman, Sudan

• Sepsis improvement and management – the role of nurses – presented by Halima Salisu, Nigeria

The event will be moderated by our very own Emmanuel Nsutebu, Founder and Chair of the African Sepsis Alliance, and Board Member of the GSA.

How to Register

If you already have a WCEA Account:

1. Log into the WCEA App or LMS

2. Go to ‘Events’ on the Homepage

3. Register for the webinar and you will receive a Zoom invitation via email

For new users:

1. Go to https://wcea.education/register/

2. Find your organization and fill out the registration form. You will receive your username and password via email

3. Download the WCEA app or log into the LMS here: https://cpd.wcea.education

4. If your organization is outside our partners, please create your account from here: Join the Webinar Platform

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.

With the COVID Pandemic still not a thing of the past – significantly affecting the mental health of millions – 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, moving 60km, hosting a mo-ment, getting involved on social media, and more.

The panel discussion – Learning from Successful National Sepsis Initiatives – from ‘Making Sepsis a National and Global Health Priority – Celebrating 10 Years of World Sepsis Day’ on September 16 is now available, embedded above. It’s moderated by Edmund Neugebauer and Daniel Schwarzkopf and features the following speakers and topics:

Overview Topics & Speakers

The Success Factors of the Surviving Sepsis Campaign on a Global Scale
Mitchell Levy, Brown University, USA

The Challenges and Successes in the Fight Against Sepsis in Latin America
Daniela Carla Souza, Sírio‐Libanês Hospital, Brazil

Building a Successful National Sepsis Campaign in Japan
Naoyuki Matsuda, Japanese Sepsis Alliance, Japan

The History and Success Factors for the Sudanese National Sepsis Plan
Mohammed Elfatih Ahmed, Sudanese Sepsis Alliance, Sudan

Background and Impact of the National Clinical Programme on Sepsis Mortality
Michael O‘Dwyer, Health Service Executive, Ireland

History, Achievements, and Future Strategy by Sepsis Alliance in the US
Thomas Heymann, Sepsis Alliance, USA

The Role of Nurses in the National Sepsis QI Initiative in Saudi Arabia
Maha Aljuaid, Global Sepsis Alliance, Saudi Arabia

The Strategy of the MoH‐Funded “Germany Recognizes Sepsis”‐Coalition
Ellen Heyd, Coalition for Patient Safety, Germany

The SepWiss Project in Berlin and Brandenburg: Strategy and Lessons Learned
Wiltrud Abels, Sepsis Stiftung, Germany

Please enjoy and feel free to share with colleagues and interested parties.

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Release Schedule

This session concludes our event – all sessions are now available on our World Sepsis Day YouTube Channel.

• Opening Session – September 28, 2022

• S2: The Burden of Sepsis, COVID-19, and AMR – October 5, 2022

• S3: How to Boost the Implementation of the WHA Sepsis Resolution – October 12, 2022

• S4: Learning by Exchange on the Global, National, and Facility Level – October 19, 2022

• S5: The Challenges of, and Lessons Learned from the Pandemic – October 26, 2022

• S6: Panel – Learning from Successful National Sepsis Initiatives – November 2, 2022

The consequences of delayed diagnosis and treatment of sepsis can be devastating for patients, their loved ones, and healthcare workers. Mismanagement of sepsis leads to unavoidable harm and can cause reputational damage to any healthcare facility.

Sepsis improvement initiatives are often initiated after a major patient safety incident or crisis. In addition, sepsis improvement can feel like a struggle. However, struggles are gifts and can be used to bring about significant change and success. If you have been affected by sepsis or trying to bring about improvements in care, is it possible to emerge from your darkest moments into a bright and better future for yourself and others? The answer is yes!

In this groundbreaking book, Dr. Emmanuel Nsutebu shows that these are all possible. Tragedy struck when his close friend passed away due to sepsis (uncontrolled and undiagnosed infection) following a minor hospital procedure. He uses the story of this crisis to describe his subsequent work which has led to life-saving changes to sepsis recognition and management in the UK and Africa.

You will learn Dr. Emmanuel’s Five-Step Model for turning struggles into success. Everybody can learn this essential skill, and the more you practice the better you will become. Dr. Emmanuel’s Five Step model can be used successfully by individuals, teams, or large organizations. Everybody and indeed every leader needs this skill.

From Struggles to Success, Paperback

€14.54

The proceeds from the sale of this book via our website will be used to support the work of the African Sepsis Alliance. Everybody in Africa deserves a chance to survive sepsis.

The panel discussion – The Challenges of, and Lessons Learned from the Pandemic – from ‘Making Sepsis a National and Global Health Priority – Celebrating 10 Years of World Sepsis Day’ on September 16 is now available, embedded above. It’s moderated by Volkart Wildermuth and features the following speakers and topics:

Overview Topics & Speakers

Placing Sepsis Prevention and Control Into the WHO Global Context
Rudi Eggers, Director Integrated Health Services, World Health Organization, Switzerland

The Perspective of a Dean and Scientist
Axel Pries, Charité University Hospital, Germany

The Perspective of a Science Editor
Joachim Müller‐Jung, Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, Germany

The Perspective of a Vaccine Researcher and Developer
Stefan Kaufmann, Max Planck Institute, Germany

The Perspective from Africa and the Eastern Mediterranean Region
Emmanuel Nsutebu, Chair African Sepsis Alliance, United Arab Emirates

Novel Immunomodulatory and Biomarker Approaches in COVID‐19 and Sepsis
Evangelos J. Giamarellos‐Bourboulis, Chair European Sepsis Alliance, Greece

On the Importance of and the Barriers to Clinical Research
Tobias Welte, Sepsis Stiftung, Germany

For Evaluating Novel Therapeutics – The Perspective of a Biotech CEO
Niels Riedemann, InflaRx, Germany

Please enjoy and feel free to share with colleagues and interested parties.

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Release Schedule

Sessions are released on our World Sepsis Day YouTube Channel Wednesdays on a weekly basis, talks individually and the panels as a whole.

• Opening Session – September 28, 2022

• S2: The Burden of Sepsis, COVID-19, and AMR – October 5, 2022

• S3: How to Boost the Implementation of the WHA Sepsis Resolution – October 12, 2022

• S4: Learning by Exchange on the Global, National, and Facility Level – October 19, 2022

• S5: The Challenges of, and Lessons Learned from the Pandemic – October 26, 2022

• S6: Panel – Learning from Successful National Sepsis Initiatives – November 2, 2022

If you want to be automatically notified once new talks are available, please subscribe to our YouTube Channel and enable notifications.

It was not long ago September 26th, when we officially announced the Winners of the 2021 GSA Awards.

BMG/Frank Woelffing

Yesterday the time had come, the Sepsis Stiftung and the Global Sepsis Alliance were at the Federal Ministry of Health to personally present the GSA Award Category I – Governments and Healthcare Authorities to Karl Lauterbach.

As the German Federal Minister of Health, he received the award on behalf of the G7 Health Ministers for his contributions towards raising sepsis awareness and education.

The Award Jury recognized Karl Lauterbach for the following significant actions.

• The exemplary funding for the DES campaign over a four-year period – enabling education endeavors of the public, the population at increased risk for sepsis, and healthcare workers on sepsis prevention, early recognition of, and the need to treat sepsis as an emergency

• This was also true for acknowledgments and goals that were set in the recent Communiqué of the G7 Ministers of Health, such as:

  • That delayed diagnosis and management and/or ineffective or unavailable antibiotic treatment leading to sepsis is killing an estimated 11 million people per year globally

  • The commitment to intensify the efforts to strengthen early detection, diagnosis, and therapy of sepsis and ensure synergy with antimicrobial stewardship and IPC programs, e.g., through national educational campaigns

  • To boost the implementation of the WHA Resolution “Improving the Prevention, Diagnosis and Clinical Management of Sepsis” (Res. 70.7)

  • To support LMICs to strengthen prevention through capacity-building where appropriate, and access to diagnosis and treatment for resistant infections

The members of the GSA Award Jury unanimously conferred this award because said commitment by the G7 leadership marks another quantum leap in the fight against sepsis, especially since the fast enactment of the goals of the resolution has the potential to save millions of lives annually worldwide.