Update: The webinar is now available to rewatch above and on YouTube, including chapter markers, so you can jump right to the topic/speaker that interests you most.

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Join us now for the first webinar in the European Sepsis Alliance’s new series on Antibiotic Stewardship in the Critically-Ill. Moderated by Prof. Ignacio Martin-Loeches, the session will feature Dr. Rita Murri and Dr. Ricard Ferrer, who will discuss the fundamentals of antibiotic stewardship in critically-ill patients, practical strategies for implementation at the bedside, and the role of biomarkers in supporting clinical decision-making. Through expert presentations and a case-based discussion, participants will gain valuable insights into overcoming common challenges and improving antimicrobial stewardship in everyday practice.

The event recording will be available at the same URL immediately after the livestream has concluded.

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About This Webinar Series

The European Sepsis Alliance webinar series on antibiotic stewardship in critically-ill patients will bring together leading international experts to discuss the latest evidence, practical implementation strategies, and real-world clinical challenges in antimicrobial stewardship.

Across two live sessions on June 4 and June 17, participants will explore topics including biomarker-guided stewardship, bedside implementation, behavioral and human factors that influence protocol adherence, and emerging research that will shape future practice.

The webinars will feature expert presentations, case-based discussions, and interactive live Q&A sessions with internationally recognized specialists in intensive care, infectious diseases, and sepsis care.

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Sponsored by Thermo Fisher Scientific

This webinar is kindly supported by Thermo Fisher Scientific, whom we sincerely thank for their continued support. Sponsors do not influence the choice of speakers or the content of the webinar in any way.

Dr. Mariam Jashi, CEO of the Global Sepsis Alliance, recently joined a podcast conversation hosted by Dr. Abdulelah Alhawsawi, President of the Eastern Mediterranean Sepsis Alliance.

In this wide-ranging discussion, Mariam reflects on her journey from medicine and public service to global health leadership and shares insights into the growing global movement to improve sepsis awareness, prevention, and care. The conversation also explores the importance of advocacy, health systems strengthening, patient engagement, and international collaboration in addressing some of the world's most pressing health challenges.

As CEO of the Global Sepsis Alliance, Mariam highlights the urgent need for greater recognition of sepsis as a global health priority and discusses opportunities to accelerate progress through partnerships, innovation, and policy action.

The episode offers valuable perspectives for healthcare professionals, students, policymakers, and advocates interested in global health, patient safety, and sepsis.

Watch the full conversation on YouTube, embedded above, or wherever you get your podcasts.

21 May 2026 | Palais des Nations, Geneva

The Global Sepsis Alliance (GSA), together with its strategic partner Medical Women’s International Association (MWIA), convened a high-level Official Side Event on Sepsis at the 79th World Health Assembly (WHA79) Palais des Nations in Geneva for the second consecutive year.

Titled “Protecting 26 Million Women and 20 Million Children from Sepsis – A Global Health Imperative,” the event brought together high-level representatives of Member States, international organizations, youth representatives, professional associations, and Sepsis advocates to address the growing global burden of Sepsis and reinforce the importance of coordinated international action.

The event was co-organized by the governments of Egypt and Georgia together with four Non-State Actors in official relations with WHO, including Medical Women’s International Association, Women in Global Health, World Federation of Societies of Anesthesiologists, and International Federation of Medical Students’ Associations.

The event was further supported by leading global health partners, including the Laerdal Foundation, UNITE Parliamentarians Network for Global Health, Virchow Foundation, American Medical Women’s Association (AMWA), UK Sepsis Trust, Sepsis Trust New Zealand, Sepsis Stiftung, Swiss Sepsis Program and regional Sepsis alliances from Africa, Europe, and the Eastern Mediterranean.

Discussions emphasized the urgent global burden of Sepsis, which affects an estimated 48.9 million people annually, including 26 million women and 20 million children under five years of age. Participants highlighted that Sepsis accounts for one in five deaths globally, causing approximately 2.9 million child deaths annually and remaining the third leading cause of maternal mortality worldwide. Speakers stressed that women and children living in low-resource and humanitarian settings are disproportionately affected, while future pandemics and climate-related emergencies are likely to further increase the burden of Sepsis globally.

The meeting opened with remarks by Jennifer Epifanio, mother of 14-year-old Elia Epifanio, who died from septic shock in March 2023. Since then, Jennifer and Daniele Epifanio have become leading advocates for Sepsis awareness and prevention in Switzerland and internationally. Participants recognized the contribution of the Trofeo Elia Epifanio charity race in supporting the Zurich Children’s Hospital and raising awareness to help save lives from Sepsis.

The program featured keynote remarks and high-level interventions from global policymakers and health leaders, including a video address by H.E. Dorothee Bär, Federal Minister of Science, Technology and Space of Germany; H.E. Dr. Irakli Sasania, First Deputy Minister of Health of Georgia; and H.E. Dr. Abla El-Alfy, Deputy Minister of Health for Population and Family Development of Egypt.

Distinguished speakers included Tore Laerdal, Executive Director, Laerdal Foundation; Hon. Ricardo Baptista Leite, President of the UNITE Parliamentarians Network for Global Health; Dr. Amany Asfour, President of the Medical Women’s International Association and Co-chair of Health Committee, National Council of Women of Egypt; Hannah Wu – Chief of Women’s Rights and Gender Section at the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, and Prof. Konrad Reinhart, Founding President of the Global Sepsis Alliance.

The meeting was chaired by Hon. Mariam Jashi, CEO of the Global Sepsis Alliance, former Parliamentarian and Deputy Minister of Health of Georgia.

Throughout the discussion, speakers underscored that achieving the health-related Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and Universal Health Coverage (UHC) will not be possible without significantly increased political commitment, research investment, and stronger national, regional, and global Sepsis responses. Participants called for enhanced awareness, improved prevention and early detection, stronger health systems, and greater investment in maternal, newborn, and child health services.

The event concluded with a renewed call for coordinated global action and stronger multisectoral partnerships to reduce preventable deaths and disabilities caused by Sepsis, particularly among the world’s most vulnerable populations.

In her closing remarks, Dr. Mariam Jashi thanked Sepsis survivors, families, regional Sepsis alliances, and partner institutions worldwide for their continued advocacy and commitment. Participants also reiterated the need for a new WHA Resolution on Sepsis and discussed plans for organizing an official side event on Sepsis during UNGA81 in New York, with support expressed by the governments of Georgia and Egypt, as well as UNITE, MWIA, and other co-sponsoring partners.

Dr. Amany Asfour, President of MWIA, closed the event by thanking all participants for their invaluable contributions and reiterating the urgent need to protect 26 million women and 2 million children from Sepsis - the leading yet underrecognized cause of death worldwide.

The full recording of the event is available on the YouTube channel of the Global Sepsis Alliance. As of May 28, the video recording has been viewed by more than 850 sepsis advocates worldwide.

Update May 21: The recording is now available, embedded above or using the same link on YouTube. Unfortunately, we had an audio issue at the beginning – audio is normal starting at 00:12:00. Our sincere apologies.

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We are now live from Geneva with our official WHA79 Side Event on Sepsis – you can join us via the free YouTube livestream, including the option to chat live.

The event recording will be available at the same URL immediately after the livestream has concluded.

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The Global Sepsis Alliance is honored to join its strategic partner, the Medical Women’s International Association (MWIA), in convening a high-level official side event on Sepsis during the 79th World Health Assembly (WHA79) in Geneva for the second time.

Titled “Protecting 26 Million Women and 20 Million Children from Sepsis – A Global Health Imperative,” the official WHA79 side event will take place on Thursday, May 21, 2026, from 18:00 to 19:30 CEST in Room XI at the Palais des Nations in Geneva.

The event will bring together health ministers, representatives of international organizations, clinicians, advocates, parliamentarians, and global health leaders to strengthen political commitment and accelerate action against sepsis worldwide, especially for protecting newborns, children, and women.

Co-organizers of the event include Women in Global Health, the World Federation of Societies of Anesthesiologists (WFSA), the International Federation of Medical Students’ Associations (IFMSA), Egypt, and Georgia.

The event is co-sponsored by prominent global health partners, including the Laerdal Foundation, the UNITE Parliamentarians Network for Global Health, the Virchow Foundation, the Sepsis Stiftung, the UK Sepsis Trust (UKST), the Sepsis Trust New Zealand, the Swiss Sepsis Program (SSP), the African Sepsis Alliance (ASA), the European Sepsis Alliance (ESA), and the Eastern Mediterranean Sepsis Alliance (EMSA), as well as national associations of Medical Women from Egypt, Georgia, and the United States.

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Why Sepsis?

Sepsis remains a leading cause of death and disability worldwide, affecting an estimated 48.9 million people annually, including 26 million women and 20 million children under the age of five. Sepsis accounts for 1 in every 5 deaths globally, claiming the lives of 2.9 million children each year and remaining as the third leading cause of maternal mortality.

 Women and children living in low-resource settings – both in low- and middle-income countries, as well as socially disadvantaged populations in high-income countries – are disproportionately affected. Furthermore, more than 360 million people affected by man-made or climate emergencies, humanitarian crises, and displacement due to man-made or climate emergencies, primarily women and children, face increased risks of sepsis. Finally, building on the lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic, during which 78% of ICU patients experienced viral sepsis, future pandemics are also likely to further increase the global burden of sepsis.

Without significant political commitment, research and resource investments into national, regional and global Sepsis responses, achieving the health-related 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) will not be feasible – particularly those related to maternal, newborn and child health, as well as aspirations towards Universal Health Coverage (UHC).

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Featured Speakers

The program will feature high-level opening remarks from global health leaders and policymakers, including special addresses by Dorothee Bär, Federal Minister of Research, Technology, and Space of Germany; H.E. Dr. Irakli Sasania - First Deputy Minister of IDPs from the Occupied Territories, Labor, Health and Social Affairs of Georgia, and H.E. Dr. Abla El-Alfy, Deputy Minister of Health for Population and Family Development of Egypt.

Featured speakers include Tore Laerdal, Executive Director, Laerdal Foundation; Hon. Ricardo Baptista Leite, President of the UNITE Parliamentarians Network for Global Health; Dr. Amany Asfour, President of the Medical Women’s International Association and Co-chair of Health Committee, National Council of Women of Egypt; Hannah Wu – Chief of Women’s Rights and Gender Section at the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, and Prof. Konrad Reinhart, Founding President of the Global Sepsis Alliance. The meeting will be chaired by Hon. Mariam Jashi, CEO of the Global Sepsis Alliance, former Parliamentarian and Deputy Minister of Health of Georgia.

You will also have the opportunity to hear the perspectives from the World Health Organization, international medical associations, parliamentarians, youth representatives, and Sepsis advocates.

Healthcare professionals, policymakers, researchers, advocates, students, and partners attending the World Health Assembly in Geneva are warmly invited to participate in person.

The European Sepsis Alliance webinar series on antibiotic stewardship in critically-ill patients will bring together leading international experts to discuss the latest evidence, practical implementation strategies, and real-world clinical challenges in antimicrobial stewardship.

Across two live sessions on June 4 and June 17, participants will explore topics including biomarker-guided stewardship, bedside implementation, behavioral and human factors that influence protocol adherence, and emerging research that will shape future practice.

The webinars will feature expert presentations, case-based discussions, and interactive live Q&A sessions with internationally recognized specialists in intensive care, infectious diseases, and sepsis care.

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Free Registration

Please register on the website of the European Sepsis Alliance:

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CME Credits

Application for CME accreditation has been submitted to the European Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education. Approval is pending. We will update this page once we hear more.

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Sponsored by Thermo Fisher Scientific

This webinar is kindly supported by Thermo Fisher Scientific, whom we sincerely thank for their continued support. Sponsors do not influence the choice of speakers or the content of the webinar in any way.

Yesterday, May 18, at the World Health Assembly (WHA) in Geneva, the CEO of the Global Sepsis Alliance (GSA), Dr. Mariam Jashi, called for stronger recognition of sepsis within the evolving global health emergency preparedness architecture.

Addressing ongoing negotiations around the Pandemic Agreement, GSA emphasized that sepsis remains a major but underrecognized consequence of infectious disease outbreaks and pandemics. Drawing on lessons from COVID-19 — during which 78% of intensive care patients developed sepsis — the intervention highlighted the urgent need to integrate sepsis prevention and management into future pandemic preparedness and response frameworks.

The statement called for stronger global efforts in risk communication, surveillance, workforce capacity building, and investment in research and innovation, including vaccines, antimicrobial therapies, diagnostics, and pathogen-agnostic immunology approaches.

Through its engagement at WHA, GSA continues to advocate for sepsis to become a visible and prioritized component of global health policy discussions and emergency preparedness strategies.

The Global Sepsis Alliance is honored to join its strategic partner, the Medical Women’s International Association (MWIA), in convening a high-level official side event on Sepsis during the 79th World Health Assembly (WHA79) in Geneva for the second time.

Titled “Protecting 26 Million Women and 20 Million Children from Sepsis – A Global Health Imperative,” the official WHA79 side event will take place on Thursday, May 21, 2026, from 18:00 to 19:30 CEST in Room XI at the Palais des Nations in Geneva.

The event will bring together health ministers, representatives of international organizations, clinicians, advocates, parliamentarians, and global health leaders to strengthen political commitment and accelerate action against sepsis worldwide, especially for protecting newborns, children, and women.

Co-organizers of the event include Women in Global Health, the World Federation of Societies of Anesthesiologists (WFSA), the International Federation of Medical Students’ Associations (IFMSA), Egypt, and Georgia.

The event is co-sponsored by prominent global health partners, including the Laerdal Foundation, the UNITE Parliamentarians Network for Global Health, the Virchow Foundation, the Sepsis Stiftung, the UK Sepsis Trust (UKST), the Sepsis Trust New Zealand, the Swiss Sepsis Program (SSP), the African Sepsis Alliance (ASA), the European Sepsis Alliance (ESA), and the Eastern Mediterranean Sepsis Alliance (EMSA), as well as national associations of Medical Women from Egypt, Georgia, and the United States.

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Why Sepsis?

Sepsis remains a leading cause of death and disability worldwide, affecting an estimated 48.9 million people annually, including 26 million women and 20 million children under the age of five. Sepsis accounts for 1 in every 5 deaths globally, claiming the lives of 2.9 million children each year and remaining as the third leading cause of maternal mortality.

 Women and children living in low-resource settings – both in low- and middle-income countries, as well as socially disadvantaged populations in high-income countries – are disproportionately affected. Furthermore, more than 360 million people affected by man-made or climate emergencies, humanitarian crises, and displacement due to man-made or climate emergencies, primarily women and children, face increased risks of sepsis. Finally, building on the lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic, during which 78% of ICU patients experienced viral sepsis, future pandemics are also likely to further increase the global burden of sepsis.

Without significant political commitment, research and resource investments into national, regional and global Sepsis responses, achieving the health-related 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) will not be feasible – particularly those related to maternal, newborn and child health, as well as aspirations towards Universal Health Coverage (UHC).

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Featured Speakers

The program will feature high-level opening remarks from global health leaders and policymakers, including special addresses by Dorothee Bär, Federal Minister of Research, Technology, and Space of Germany; H.E. Dr. Irakli Sasania - First Deputy Minister of IDPs from the Occupied Territories, Labor, Health and Social Affairs of Georgia, and H.E. Dr. Abla El-Alfy, Deputy Minister of Health for Population and Family Development of Egypt.

Featured speakers include Tore Laerdal, Executive Director, Laerdal Foundation; Hon. Ricardo Baptista Leite, President of the UNITE Parliamentarians Network for Global Health; Dr. Amany Asfour, President of the Medical Women’s International Association and Co-chair of Health Committee, National Council of Women of Egypt; Hannah Wu – Chief of Women’s Rights and Gender Section at the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, and Prof. Konrad Reinhart, Founding President of the Global Sepsis Alliance. The meeting will be chaired by Hon. Mariam Jashi, CEO of the Global Sepsis Alliance, former Parliamentarian and Deputy Minister of Health of Georgia.

You will also have the opportunity to hear the perspectives from the World Health Organization, international medical associations, parliamentarians, youth representatives, and Sepsis advocates.

Healthcare professionals, policymakers, researchers, advocates, students, and partners attending the World Health Assembly in Geneva are warmly invited to participate in person.

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Register before May 16 to Attend In-Person

Please note that access to the Palais des Nations during the World Health Assembly is strictly controlled.

Participants Already Registered for WHA79

Delegates officially registered for the 79th World Health Assembly as representatives of Member States, non-State actors, United Nations agencies, intergovernmental organizations, or other accredited organizations, and holding a valid WHA79 badge, may attend the event directly and are warmly invited to register in advance. WHA79 badges provide access to official side events at both the WHO Headquarters and the Palais des Nations.

Participants Without a WHA79 Badge

A limited number of special guest badges are available for participants who are not officially accredited to the World Health Assembly and wish to attend this official WHA79 side event. These badges are issued through the WHO Secretariat specifically for this official WHA79 side event and are subject to availability.

If you do not already hold a WHA79 delegate badge, kindly complete the registration form as soon as possible before May 16, 2026, to request a special guest pass. Please note that submitting the form does not automatically guarantee access. Confirmation and further instructions will be shared with selected participants ahead of the event.

Special guest badges:

• are valid only for this specific side event

• are valid only on the day of the event

• do not provide access to official WHA plenary or committee sessions.

Approved participants will be required to collect their badges at the WHO Headquarters distribution desk on the day of the event before proceeding to the Palais des Nations. Badge collection for evening side events beginning at 18:00 opens from 15:00 onwards. Participants are kindly requested to allow sufficient time for badge collection, shuttle transportation, and security screening procedures at both the WHO Headquarters and the Palais des Nations.

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Update May 17: Registration is now closed. We are working on making virtual participation possible for those who can't attend in person.

Next week, on Wednesday, May 20, 2026, our friends and colleagues from Group B Strep Support will host the “Group B Strep in Pregnancy & Babies Virtual Conference”.

Group B Strep is the leading cause of severe infection in newborn babies in the UK. Our 2026 Group B Strep in Pregnancy & Babies virtual conference will bring together leading experts to share their expertise on group B Strep, prevention policies, testing options, antibiotic usage, and the progress towards a vaccine.

The conference is for all health professionals interested in group B Strep and working in maternity/neonatal care, including Obstetricians, Microbiologists, Midwives, Neonatologists, Public Health Specialists, GPs, and Pediatricians.

The event brings together experienced speakers who are experts in their field. Further details and biographies can be found on the speaker profile page.