On January 14, 2025, at 17:00 CET, join Dr. Ron Daniels, Vice President of the Global Sepsis Alliance (GSA), Dr. Mariam Jashi, CEO of the GSA, Ephraim Tsalik of Danaher Diagnostics, and Sonia Nicholas as moderator for an exclusive live forum hosted by SelectScience®. This roundtable will cover key issues such as the Global Agenda for Sepsis and the broader challenge of sepsis diagnostics, including early detection, pathogen identification, and the integration of diagnostic tools in clinical practice. It's an essential session for laboratory professionals, clinicians, and point-of-care specialists.

Participants can also receive a certificate of attendance for continuing education.

Together for a Healthier Tomorrow

Warm greetings from the entire Team at the Global Sepsis Alliance! As we welcome 2025, we extend our wishes for a Happy New Year filled with joy, success, and good health for you and your loved ones.

Reflecting on the past year, we are grateful for the remarkable partnerships and collective achievements that have strengthened the global fight against sepsis. We are committed to strengthening our collaborations with all GSA members and partner organizations. Together, we will make 2025 a landmark year in the renewed global fight against sepsis.

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Download the 2024 WSD Event Poster

The final version of the 2024 World Sepsis Day Event Poster is now available to download. We have corrected errors and added missing photos, making it even better. It’s filled with exciting activities and events happening worldwide to raise awareness about sepsis. You can download it below and share it online or print it out for your office or home. Let’s spread the word and make a difference!

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The World Sepsis Day Toolkit Section

Our toolkits – soon to be updated for 2025 – cover a diverse range of materials from event resources to engaging infographics, fact sheets, posters, and more. Our commitment is to provide valuable resources that are not only essential but also easily accessible to our global audience and stakeholders.

All our resources remain freely available and accessible in multiple languages, ensuring that important information can reach diverse audiences around the world. If you haven't explored them recently, we encourage you to take a look – there's a wealth of resources available, and we continue to add more materials and languages regularly.

As you may know, some of our resources, such as our Pocket Cards or the Life After Sepsis Brochure, can be ordered as professionally printed versions through our WSD Online Shop, with international shipping. The GSA Team is ready to provide any needed assistance in the process.

Pocket Cards for Medical Professionals, 10 Pack

€5.00

WSD Life After Sepsis Brochure, 5 Pack

€11.00

Pocket Cards for the General Public, 10 Pack

€6.00

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Looking Ahead: A Pivotal Year for Sepsis Advocacy

For 2025, our mission to combat sepsis grows ever stronger. This year will mark a pivotal moment in our journey, as we accelerate efforts to implement the 2030 Global Agenda for Sepsis, driving meaningful action toward prevention, early recognition, and equitable care worldwide.

A key highlight will be the 5th World Sepsis Congress in April, where experts, advocates, and stakeholders will come together to share the latest advancements and insights in sepsis care and innovation.

We will also be in Geneva in May for the World Health Assembly, in New York in September for UNGA80, and at smaller but no less important global health meetings worldwide.

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Join Us in the Fight Against Sepsis

With your continued support, we can bring 2025 closer to a future where no one needlessly suffers or dies from sepsis. Let’s move forward together—stronger, more united, and more determined than ever before.

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Make a Difference: Donate to Support World Sepsis Day

In challenging times, every effort counts. We’d be so grateful if you could donate to help fight sepsis around the world. Any contribution, big or small, makes a difference and helps to save lives.

As we bid farewell to 2024, we reflect on a transformative year in the global fight against sepsis. From launching groundbreaking initiatives like the Global Sepsis Innovations Platform to hosting record-breaking events such as the 2024 WSC Spotlight, this year has been a testament to the power of collaboration, innovation, and advocacy, cumulating in the launch of the 2030 Global Agenda for Sepsis at the German Bundestag in September.

With the unwavering support of our 120 member organizations, as well as you, our fellow World Sepsis Day Supporters, we’ve reached new heights in raising awareness, fostering research, and driving action to save lives. As we look ahead to 2025, we remain committed to pushing boundaries and creating a world where no one loses their life to sepsis.

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Reflecting on 2024

January / February / March

The year started with updated toolkits for 2024, as almost every year does. Shortly thereafter, we shared Ilse’s sepsis story, a story of incredible human strength, resilience, and perseverance. At the 2024 Critical Care Congress in Phoenix, Arizona, the ‘International Consensus Criteria for Pediatric Sepsis and Septic Shock’ were presented. In Gevena, Dr. Mariam Jashi, CEO of the GSA, addressed the 154th Session of the WHO Executive Board to prioritize sepsis in Universal Health Coverage.

In February, we announced the 2024 WSC Spotlight: Unmet Need in Sepsis Diagnosis and Therapy, and Ron Daniels, our Vice President of Communications and Founder and CEO of the UK Sepsis Trust, commented on the updated NICE Guidelines for Sepsis. We also announced the 7th Annual Meeting of the European Sepsis Alliance and shared Kuan Brown’s sepsis story, who unnecessarily died of sepsis at only 18. We also welcomed and contributed to the release of the WHO website on clinical management of sepsis.

On March 8, celebrating International Women’s Day, the Global Sepsis Alliance and the Medical Women’s International Association signed a Memorandum of Understanding. On March 18, we came to you live from Brussels for the 7th Annual Meeting of the ESA – you can rewatch it here should you have missed it, and the report from the event is available here. Also in March, Mariam met Mandeep Dhaliwal and Roy Small of the United Nations Development Programme in New York. Last but not least, our President Tex Kissoon visited the Head Office for strategic discussions, including a video address for you.

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April

In April, all eyes turned to the 2024 WSC Spotlight, titled Unmet Need in Sepsis Diagnosis and Therapy.

Throughout 9 distinctive sessions, globally renowned clinicians, researchers, experts, and thought leaders covered the need for early diagnosis and treatment of sepsis in surgical patients, data, AI, and predictive modeling in sepsis, how hypervolemia increases the mortality rate in sepsis, the role of biomarkers, detecting sepsis in ventilated patients, pediatric sepsis, including the new ‘Phoenix Criteria’, as well as personalized approaches to sepsis management.

The congress was held entirely online and participation was free of charge. The talks are still available for free on YouTube and as a podcast on Apple Podcasts – just search for ‘World Sepsis Congress’ in your favorite podcast player. Maybe you’ll make time to catch up on a talk or two during the holidays?

The congress itself was an amazing success yet again – 12,230 people from 185 countries signed up to participate, 65% from low- and middle-income countries. The full report is available here, including a ton of interesting numbers and feedback from attendees.

But that wasn’t all – earlier in April, the US Congress allocated $3 million to the CDC for Sepsis Advocacy in the US, and we celebrated Pediatric Sepsis Week, especially in Australia and the US.

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May

May was kicked off by the GSA supporting World Hand Hygiene Day on May 5 – clean healthcare is among the most urgent challenges identified by the United Nations to be addressed by the global community in the next 10 years and is highly relevant in meeting the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), as well as fighting infections, sepsis, and, most prominently in the last couple of years, COVID-19.

Next, Mariam met with Helga Fogstad, UNICEF’s Director of Health, and spoke at the UNGA High-Level Meeting on Antimicrobial Resistance in New York.

We also started to release the sessions from the 2024 WSC Spotlight – as mentioned above, they are still available on YouTube and as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, if you aren’t caught up yet.

Later in May, we shared Heike’s sepsis story, who contracted sepsis in the Swiss mountains in 2021 and held a multi-stakeholder dialogue on the 2030 Global Agenda for Sepsis in Geneva.

We closed out May with sepsis survivors Shahrzad Kiavash and Krista Bracke meeting the Director-General of the World Health Organization Dr. Tedros at the WHO Walk the Talk Event in Geneva, as well as Mariam addressing the 77th World Health Assembly to prioritize sepsis.

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June / July / August

June kicked off with the first report on sepsis in Belgium and the much-celebrated launch of the Caribbean Sepsis Alliance. We shared the story of a young girl who survived sepsis, and Mariam spoke at the first Global Self-Care Summit in Geneva.

In July, we finally published the aforementioned report on the 2024 WSC Spotlight and shared Vasanth Kumar Gelli’s sepsis story.

We also shared inspirations and ideas for the upcoming World Sepsis Day and looked back at the first event of the Caribbean Sepsis Alliance, focusing on climate change, health, sepsis, and justice.

In August, we shared the invitation to our symposium on the immune system and the ‘Revealing the Burden of Sepsis’ event in Paris in September.

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September

Finally, September. Finally, World Sepsis Day again. Across the globe, hundreds of events were organized to raise awareness for sepsis, and we are extremely grateful to everyone who took part. The 2024 WSD Event Poster includes many of these impactful events.

However, September started with the new logo and website of the Caribbean Sepsis Alliance on September 5 and the launch of the WSD Virtual Photo Booth on September 9, before we officially launched the 2030 Global Agenda for Sepsis at the German Parliament on September 10, including a free livestream on YouTube.

On September 11, our symposium – The Immune System: The Double-Edged Sword in the Fight Against Sepsis – jointly organized with the Sepsis Stiftung, took place in Berlin, addressing the relationship between the immune system and sepsis – you can still watch the event on YouTube.

Also on September 11, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, alongside Senators Susan Collins and Bob Casey, introduced the bipartisan SEPSIS (Securing Enhanced Programs, Systems and Initiatives for Sepsis) Act to the US Senate.

On World Sepsis Day, we shared the video greeting of Dr. Tedros, the written message of Dr. Lauterbach, German Minister of Health, and the media release for the 2024 World Sepsis Day.

Shortly thereafter, we published the full report on the launch of the 2030 Global Agenda for Sepsis and announced our UNGA79 Side Event in New York. Closing out the month, Mariam spoke at the first panel of the UN General Assembly’s High-Level Meeting on AMR in New York on September 26.

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October

In October, we joined the Virchow-ESMT Lecture “Health and Sustainability for Thriving Futures” with the 2024 Virchow Prize Laureates, and The Lancet published the sepsis survivor’s call to EU leaders to develop a European Sepsis Plan, as a follow up to the September 9 sepsis patients summit convened in Paris by Sepsis Stronger Together consortium in partnership with the Global Sepsis Alliance and the European Sepsis Alliance.

On October 14, we announced the new GSA Fellowship, followed by the GSA joining WHO’s Acute Care Action Network (ACAN).

On October 16, the GSA led the sepsis dialogue at the UNITE Parliamentarians Global Summit and participated in the World Health Summit in Berlin.

Later that month, we shared Brian Hayes's sepsis story, and Mariam and Simone attended the HERA Civil Society Forum in Brussels, as well as other stakeholders in the region.

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November / December

In November, we participated in the Symposium hosted by the Global Coalition on Aging and Acton Institute at the Pontifical Academy of Sciences and joined the Jeddah Ministerial Conference in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

We also shared Graham’s Sepsis Story and published the full report – including video – from our UNGA79 side event.

In December, we opened the call for expression of interest to join the new Global Sepsis Innovations Platform (GSIP) and finally completed the 2024 WSD Event Poster, which you can download here.

Last Thursday, we announced the date and title of the 5th World Sepsis Congress – April 8-9, 2025, titled Sepsis Research and Innovations, and just this Monday, we shared the news on the first-ever sepsis event at the White House.

Throughout the year, we engaged in regular meetings with our members, sponsors, partners –including the WHO – and our Board, focusing on strategies to further accelerate the global fight against sepsis. These collaborative discussions have laid the groundwork for exciting initiatives on the horizon – stay tuned for what’s to come!

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Anticipating 2025

As we enter 2025, our mission to combat sepsis grows ever stronger. This year will mark a pivotal moment in our journey, as we accelerate efforts to implement the 2030 Global Agenda for Sepsis, driving meaningful action toward prevention, early recognition, and equitable care worldwide.

A key highlight will be the 5th World Sepsis Congress in April, where experts, advocates, and stakeholders will come together to share the latest advancements and insights in sepsis care and innovation.

We will also be in Geneva in May for the World Health Assembly, in New York in September for UNGA80, and at smaller but no less important global health meetings worldwide.

With your continued support, we are confident that 2025 will bring us closer to a future where no one needlessly suffers or dies from sepsis. Let’s move forward together—stronger, more united, and more determined than ever.

We are thrilled to share the news from our friends at End Sepsis. On December 13, 2024, the White House hosted its first-ever sepsis-focused event, marking a milestone in the fight against this global health threat. This is a victory for sepsis advocates and a significant step toward reducing the 350,000 sepsis-related deaths in the United States every year and addressing the life-changing disabilities that sepsis survivors endure.

This historic event at the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy aimed at convening the public and private sector action on early detection and treatment of sepsis.

The event brought together health leaders, advocates, and sepsis experts, it was prompted by the release of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality’s Report to Congress, which provides an in-depth assessment of the sepsis burden in the United States. This report, which END SEPSIS helped advocate for, aims to quantify the toll of sepsis on the healthcare system, economy, and population.

Orlaith Staunton, Founder and Executive Director of END SEPSIS, delivered the opening remarks on behalf of patients and families, emphasizing the need for continued advocacy and action. END SEPSIS, has been instrumental in driving a comprehensive federal response to sepsis.

“This Event is a major victory for the sepsis families who have campaigned to have the White House become more proactive on an issue that kills 350,000 Americans annually. We have intensely lobbied the current and past two administrations to do this; we are gratified that our hard work has finally borne fruit,” said Ciaran Staunton, Co-Founder of END SEPSIS and father of Rory Staunton, who died from undiagnosed, untreated sepsis at age 12.

Among the topics discussed were Rory’s Regulations in New York, the first mandatory sepsis protocol in the United States, which has saved over 16,000 lives since its implementation in 2013. These protocols are named in honor of Rory Staunton, whose untimely death was the catalyst for this groundbreaking initiative.

This event underscores our collective mission to raise awareness, improve early diagnosis, and enhance treatment for sepsis. As we continue to fight together against sepsis, we celebrate this achievement and reaffirm our commitment to reducing the global burden of sepsis.

Join us in our mission to fight sepsis, educate the public, and save lives. Together, we can ensure that sepsis is universally recognized as a medical emergency and that patients receive the timely, life-saving care they need.

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About Sepsis

Sepsis is a global health crisis affecting 47 to 50 million people every year and causing at least 11 million deaths worldwide—one death every 2.8 seconds. The mortality rate varies between 15% and more than 50% depending on the country, and many survivors face lifelong consequences. In the United States alone, sepsis kills 350,000 Americans annually, underscoring the need for urgent action.

The Global Sepsis Alliance is thrilled to announce the 5th World Sepsis Congress, which will take place fully online on April 8-9, 2025. Under the theme Sepsis Research and Innovations, this free virtual event will bring together over 15,000 participants from more than 180 countries to address one of our time's most pressing global health challenges.

Dr. Niranjan ‘Tex’ Kissoon

“This congress is an invitation for all to come together and reaffirm our commitment to end suffering and preventable deaths from sepsis, and to appreciate the progress being made by dedicated colleagues worldwide. Please join us in April 2025.”

— Dr. Niranjan 'Tex' Kissoon, President Global Sepsis Alliance

“We are excited to host a Congress that fosters collaboration and inspires innovation. The 5th World Sepsis Congress will empower us to collectively address the enormous global burden of sepsis and develop solutions that advance healthcare for all.”

— Dr. Mariam Jashi, CEO Global Sepsis Alliance

Dr. Mariam Jashi

The program will feature over 90 expert speakers, including leading clinicians, scientists, policymakers, and representatives from patient advocacy groups. Topics will range from the latest research on personalized medicine and innovative therapies to global strategies for infection prevention to sepsis care delivery, and how AI can be leveraged to diagnose sepsis earl. Special attention will be given to the impact of climate change on infectious diseases, the rising threat of AMR, and how combating sepsis aligns with the SDGs’ commitment to health equity and universal access to care.

Additionally, the congress will feature two panel discussions, making the voices of patients heard and showcasing lessons from countries that are reducing sepsis mortality through system change.

Registrations for the 5th World Sepsis Congress will open in early 2025. Attendees can participate live on their internet-connected devices and access recordings on-demand after the event. Join us as we come together to tackle sepsis, save lives, and create a healthier, more sustainable future.

The Global Sepsis Alliance (GSA) and Sepsis Stiftung are pleased to announce a call for expressions of interest to join the Global Sepsis Innovations Platform (GSIP), which will launch on January 30, 2025.

Aligned with the 2030 Global Agenda for Sepsis - the first multi-year global strategy for sepsis launched at the German Parliament in September 2024 -  GSIP aims to foster coordinated ongoing discussions and advocacy to address unmet needs in sepsis innovations. This includes research & development (R&D) for novel vaccines and other prevention interventions, diagnostics, antimicrobial and immunomodulatory therapies, precision medicine, care and rehabilitation commodities, and AI-enabled technologies.   

The Sepsis Alliance, which led the Sepsis Innovation Collaborative, will be an associated partner to the GSIP.

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A Collaborative Approach to Sepsis Innovation

The GSIP will focus on:

• Knowledge Exchange. Facilitating collaboration among innovators, researchers, healthcare professionals, sepsis survivors, and patients' families. Engaging sepsis survivors ensures that the platform remains focused on addressing unmet needs in prevention, diagnostics, and therapeutics, as well as innovations for post-sepsis care and rehabilitation.

• Regulatory Collaboration. Promoting multilateral discussions, consensus-building, and recommendations regarding regulations related to R&D, authorization, and licensing of sepsis innovations. Where appropriate, GSIP will submit recommendations and position statements to national and regional regulatory authorities.

• Advocacy Coordination. Coordinating efforts with national governments, philanthropic foundations, the private sector, the manufacturing industry, public-private partnerships, and research institutions, with active engagement of sepsis survivors and families with lived experiences. Coherent advocacy aims to increase investment in sepsis research and innovations and to prioritize sepsis as a leading cause of death for children, women, and men worldwide.

• Operational Research Coordination. Supporting discussions, planning, and implementation of operational research to define the accessibility and affordability of basic sepsis-related equipment and supplies, with particular attention to low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), which bear the highest burden of sepsis.

• Defining the Sepsis R&D Agenda. Facilitating discussions to identify the sepsis R&D priorities, especially for LMICs, including unmet needs in sepsis data (both quantitative and qualitative), traditional and novel vaccines, early detection and treatment strategies, and AI solutions for sepsis diagnostics and management.

For further information, please refer to the Terms of Reference for the Global Sepsis Innovations Platform.

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A Call for Participation: Join the GSIP

Organizations from the public, private, civil society, and academic sectors interested in joining the GSIP's work are invited to contact the Berlin head office of the Global Sepsis Alliance via the form below by COB January 24, 2025.

We look forward to expanding opportunities and partnerships to advance sepsis science and R&D for novel solutions that can save millions of lives.

Update January 9, 2025: The final version of the poster is now available here. The previous version of the poster has been removed.

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Download The Poster

The 2024 World Sepsis Day Event Poster is finally here! It’s packed with exciting activities and events happening all over the world to raise awareness about sepsis. You can download it below and share it online or print it out for your office or home. Let’s spread the word and make a difference!

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Report Mistakes / Add Events

The creation of the poster is a significant endeavor every year. Should you discover any errors, kindly inform us, and we will promptly rectify them and re-upload an updated version. For events that happened after the deadline, occurred online, or are otherwise absent, please do not hesitate to contact us. It is not too late to include your event.

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Donate to Support World Sepsis Day

In these tough times, we all must do our part to support causes that matter to us. We’d be so grateful if you could donate to help fight sepsis around the world. Your contribution would make a real difference and help save lives.

In parallel to the 79th Session of the UN General Assembly (UNGA79), the Global Sepsis Alliance hosted a side event in partnership with the Medical Women’s International Association (MWIA), UNITE Parliamentarians Network for Global Health (UNITE), and Sepsis Stiftung. The meeting was convened on September 25, 2024, at the New York University (NYU) Langone Health Centre thanks to the facilitation by Dr. Connie Newman, NYU Faculty Member and MWIA Representative to the United Nations.

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Key Addresses and Highlights

Dr. Ricardo Baptista Leite, President of the UNITE Parliamentarians Network for Global Health (UNITE) and CEO of the Health AI Agency reiterated UNITE's commitment to supporting the Global Sepsis Alliance in its crucial mission and the recently launched 2030 Global Agenda for Sepsis, which was introduced at the German Bundestag.

Dr. Eleanor Nwadinobi, President of MWIA, emphasized the ongoing strategic partnership between MWIA and the Global Sepsis Alliance. She reaffirmed the readiness of MWIA, the world’s oldest professional association of female physicians, to support the sepsis cause and the GSA’s mission.

Prof. Konrad Reinhart, Founding President of GSA and President of Sepsis Stiftung, joined the meeting virtually from Berlin. He underscored the urgency of taking action against sepsis and the need for political transformation to elevate the issue. Prof. Reinhart welcomed the second side event on sepsis convened by GSA and its partners during the UNGA and expressed hope for a stronger global focus on sepsis in the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) agenda.

She highlighted that fundamental changes in the global sepsis response are essential for accelerating progress toward health-related Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and eight additional SDGs focused on poverty, malnutrition, gender inequality, WASH (water, sanitation, and hygiene), inequities, climate change, humanitarian crises, and international cooperation.

Dr. Jashi also presented a special address from Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the WHO Director-General for the official launch of the 2030 Global Agenda for Sepsis, which took place at the German Bundestag on September 10, 2024, under the leadership of Prof. Andrew Ullmann, Chair of the Global Health Sub-Committee of the German Parliament.

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Interventions and Contributions

Following Dr. Jashi's presentation, a series of distinguished speakers offered their insights, recommendations, and calls for action:

• Ciaran Staunton, Co-founder of END SEPSIS – The Legacy of Rory Staunton Foundation, highlighted their latest work, including the 8th Annual National Forum on Sepsis in Washington D.C. and the submission of the Sepsis Bill to the US Senate on September 12, 2024.

• Thomas Heymann, CEO of the Sepsis Alliance, presented the organization’s ongoing efforts to raise public awareness and build healthcare capacity across the United States. Despite progress, Mr. Heymann emphasized that sepsis remains the leading cause of death in US hospitals, the second leading cause of maternal deaths, and responsible for 14,000 amputations annually only in the United States.

• Michael Wong, CEO of the Physician-Patient Alliances for Health and Safety (PPAHS), reaffirmed his organization’s commitment to endorsing and supporting the implementation of the 2030 Global Agenda for Sepsis.

• Amy Campbell, PPAHS representative and Quality Nurse Specialist shared the stories of sepsis patients from the perspective of a healthcare provider, illustrating the challenges in clinical management of sepsis and its sequelae, even in well-resourced healthcare settings.

Conclusion and Next Steps

The meeting concluded with a consensus among partner organizations on the urgent need to reinvigorate global, regional, and national sepsis responses to achieve the 2030 SDGs and related aspirations for Universal Health Coverage, maternal, neonatal, and child health, antimicrobial resistance (AMR), pandemic prevention, preparedness and response (PPPR), gender equality, peace, and partnerships for development.

A key priority for the Global Sepsis Alliance in 2025 will be the establishment of a High-Level Political Platform for Sepsis, which will work to ensure the consistent integration of sepsis into mainstream health and development dialogues and forums. This includes G7 and G20 summits, World Health Assemblies, UN General Assemblies, World Economic Forums, and other major platforms.