Sessions 2 and 3 from the 5th World Sepsis Congress are now available on YouTube (embedded above) and as a podcast wherever you get your podcasts (search for World Sepsis Congress in your favorite podcast app, Apple Podcast link).

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Session 2: Sepsis Epidemiology and Clinical Data

Moderated by Eleanor Nwadinobi from Nigeria

Global Burden of AMR and Sepsis – Unpacking the Numbers
Mohsen Naghavi, Institute for Health Metrics Evaluation (IMHE), United States

Baseline African Sepsis Incidence Study (BASIS) – an Evaluation of Epidemiology, Early Mortality Correlates and Health Facility Capacity for Management of Sepsis Across a Research Network in Sub-Saharan Africa
Shevin Jacob, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine (LSTM), Uganda

Health Record vs. ICD-Based Assessment of the Burden of Sepsis and AMR
Lisa Mellhammar, Lund University, Sweden

Update on Sepsis Epidemiology in Latin America and Gaps Uncovered
Flavia Machado, Latin American Sepsis Institute (LASI), Brazil

Update on Sepsis Epidemiology and Clinical Data From Asia and Australasia
Lowell Ling, Asia Pacific Sepsis Alliance (APSA), Hong Kong

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Session 3: The Voices of Patients in Advocacy, Research, and Beyond | Panel

Moderated by Tom Heymann from the United States

When Families Speak: The Power of Love and Loss in Sepsis Advocacy
James Hospedales, Caribbean Public Health Agency, Trinidad & Tobago

Turning Words Into Action: The Paris Declaration and the Power of Patients in Sepsis
Elena Moya, European Patients Forum, Spain

Behind the Data: Human Stories That Inspire the Science of Sepsis
Priskil Hmar, Sepsis Survivor

Septic Arthritis – My Personal Experience in a High-Resource Setting
Graham Segars, Sepsis Survivor, United States

Silent Epidemic, Loud Voices: The African Urgency for Sepsis Advocacy
Robyn Hayes Badenhorst, Wits Health Consortium, South Africa

The Caregiver’s Burden: Witnessing the Humanity Behind Sepsis
Amy Campbell, ECU Health, United States

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Two new sessions are released weekly on Tuesdays. The next sessions will be ‘S4: Novel Approaches to Pathogen Detection and Sepsis Diagnostics’ and ‘S5: The Immunization Agenda for Sepsis’ on April 29, 2025.

You can already subscribe on either platform to be automatically notified once new sessions are available.

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Full Release Schedule

S1: Opening Session – Tuesday, April 15, 2025

S2: Sepsis Epidemiology and Clinical Data – Tuesday, April 22, 2025

S3: The Voices of Patients in Advocacy, Research, and Beyond – Tuesday, April 22, 2025

S4: Novel Approaches to Pathogen Detection and Sepsis Diagnostics – Tuesday, April 29, 2025

S5: The Immunization Agenda for Sepsis – Tuesday, April 29, 2025

S6: Pathways for Sepsis Care – Integrated Emergency, Critical, and Operative Care (ECO) – Tuesday, May 6, 2025

S7: Bridging Sepsis Knowledge Gaps in HICs and LMICs – Tuesday, May 6, 2025

S8: Infection Prevention and Control in Community and Healthcare Settings – Tuesday, May 13, 2025

S9: Reducing Sepsis Mortality Through System Change – Lessons from Trailblazing Countries? – Tuesday, May 13, 2025

S10: AI Solutions for Sepsis – Tuesday, May 20, 2025

S11: The Research Agenda for AMR and Sepsis – Tuesday, May 20, 2025

S12: Pediatric Sepsis: The LMICs Cannot Wait for Improved Outcomes Any Longer – Tuesday, May 27, 2025

S13: State of the Art in Sepsis Research: Emerging Immunomodulatory Approaches – Tuesday, May 27, 2025

S14: Sepsis in Emergencies and Humanitarian Crisis – Tuesday, June 3, 2025

S15: Prevention and Rehabilitation of Long-Term Sequelae From Sepsis – Tuesday, June 3, 2025

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2 years ago, our 19-month-old daughter Linda died from a pneumococcal meningitis infection followed by sepsis. Linda had been vaccinated against pneumococcus, but the C15 strain she was infected with is not included in the vaccines currently available for small children. She was perfectly healthy and fully vaccinated, but according to the expert, despite antibiotics and intensive care treatment, she had no chance of survival without immunization. While we were in the hospital, before the septic shock and resuscitation, I noticed a few marks on Linda's left shoulder and immediately called for a doctor. She looked at them and said they were probably because they had gripped Linda too tightly when taking the lumbar puncture. I think the doctors recognized the sepsis far too late, Unfortunately, we can't prove it; it was only in the morning that the doctor came with the documents that said Linda needed a blood transfusion, which I signed immediately.

At first, there was no response; it was only when septic shock set in that the doctors began to act. She was resuscitated, intubated, and transferred to another hospital, but despite all the efforts, there was no hope. 72 hours later, she was declared brain dead, and we had to discontinue the life support. Had she survived, her legs would have been amputated because her arms and legs had turned black due to the blood poisoning and the aftermath of the resuscitation.

We want to spare other parents and especially children from such a fate. It is unacceptable that children in the 21st century still die from meningitis or perhaps undiagnosed sepsis.

We are contacting the media to try to share Linda’s story. If nothing changes regarding vaccines, we hope that parents will at least become more aware and recognize the signs earlier. Almost every infection in young children can quickly develop into sepsis. Often, doctors fail to diagnose sepsis quickly enough before the worst happens. One often thinks it only happens to others, and suddenly, you find yourself affected.

My thanks go to the Sepsis Stiftung, the Global Sepsis Alliance, World Sepsis Day, and Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, for sharing our story and for their efforts in raising awareness.

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The article above was written by Irina Schneider and is shared here with her explicit consent. The views in the article do not necessarily represent those of the Global Sepsis Alliance. They are not intended or implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice. The whole team here at the Global Sepsis Alliance and World Sepsis Day wishes to thank her for sharing her daughter’s story and for fighting to raise awareness for sepsis.

The Opening Session from the 5th World Sepsis Congress is now available on YouTube (embedded above) and as a podcast wherever you get your podcasts (search for World Sepsis Congress in your favorite podcast app, Apple Podcast link).

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Session 1: Opening Session

Moderated by Shahrzad Kiavash, Sepsis Survivor from Sweden

Opening Remarks
Niranjan ‘Tex’ Kissoon, Global Sepsis Alliance, Canada

Video Address by WHO Director-General
Dr. Tedros Adhanmon Ghebreyesus, Director-General World Health Organization, Switzerland

The Ministerial Perspective on the Sepsis Response
Frank C.S. Anthony, Minister of Health, Guyana

Sepsis Response Through a Parliamentarian Lens
Craig Mackinlay, Member of the UK House of Lords, United Kingdom

The Potential of AI in Global Health and the Global Sepsis Response
Ricardo Baptista-Leite, HealthAI, Switzerland

Remaining Challenges in the Global Sepsis Response
Konrad Reinhart, Sepsis Stiftung, Germany

Implementing the 2030 Global Agenda for Sepsis
Mariam Jashi, Global Sepsis Alliance, Georgia

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Two new sessions are released weekly on Tuesdays. The next sessions will be ‘S2: Sepsis Epidemiology and Clinical Data’ and ‘S3: The Voices of Patients in Advocacy, Research, and Beyond’ on April 22, 2025.

You can already subscribe on either platform to be automatically notified once new sessions are available.

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Full Release Schedule

S1: Opening Session – Tuesday, April 15, 2025

S2: Sepsis Epidemiology and Clinical Data – Tuesday, April 22, 2025

S3: The Voices of Patients in Advocacy, Research, and Beyond – Tuesday, April 22, 2025

S4: Novel Approaches to Pathogen Detection and Sepsis Diagnostics – Tuesday, April 29, 2025

S5: The Immunization Agenda for Sepsis – Tuesday, April 29, 2025

S6: Pathways for Sepsis Care – Integrated Emergency, Critical, and Operative Care (ECO) – Tuesday, May 6, 2025

S7: Bridging Sepsis Knowledge Gaps in HICs and LMICs – Tuesday, May 6, 2025

S8: Infection Prevention and Control in Community and Healthcare Settings – Tuesday, May 13, 2025

S9: Reducing Sepsis Mortality Through System Change – Lessons from Trailblazing Countries? – Tuesday, May 13, 2025

S10: AI Solutions for Sepsis – Tuesday, May 20, 2025

S11: The Research Agenda for AMR and Sepsis – Tuesday, May 20, 2025

S12: Pediatric Sepsis: The LMICs Cannot Wait for Improved Outcomes Any Longer – Tuesday, May 27, 2025

S13: State of the Art in Sepsis Research: Emerging Immunomodulatory Approaches – Tuesday, May 27, 2025

S14: Sepsis in Emergencies and Humanitarian Crisis – Tuesday, June 3, 2025

S15: Prevention and Rehabilitation of Long-Term Sequelae From Sepsis – Tuesday, June 3, 2025

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On April 13, 2025, the Global Sepsis Alliance (GSA), in collaboration with Sepsis Stiftung and with support from Sanofi, hosted a high-level session at the ESCMID Global Symposium in Vienna.

Titled “Preventing Bacterial Infections: A Crucial Front in the Fight Against Sepsis and Antimicrobial Resistance,” the session brought together leading experts from the Global Sepsis Alliance (GSA) and the European Sepsis Alliance (ESA) to spotlight prevention as a cornerstone strategy in combating sepsis and antimicrobial resistance (AMR).

The event was co-chaired by Dr. Mariam Jashi, CEO of the Global Sepsis Alliance, former Member of Parliament and Health Minister of Georgia, and Dr. Michele Bartoletti, Associate Professor of Infectious Diseases at Humanitas University and Head of the Infectious Diseases Unit at Humanitas Research Hospital, Italy.

In her opening remarks, Dr. Jashi emphasized the urgency and opportunity in the fight against sepsis: “We rarely have the opportunity in our professional lives – as clinicians, researchers, political leaders, or innovators – to save millions of lives. That opportunity is now, in the global fight against sepsis, a major killer of children, women, and men worldwide.”

She highlighted that 8 million of the 13.66 million annual sepsis-related deaths are linked to bacterial infections, including 4.95 million deaths directly attributable to or associated with AMR. Dr. Jashi introduced the 2030 Global Agenda for Sepsis, the first multi-year, holistic strategy calling for strong political commitment and investment in prevention through vaccines, infection prevention and control (IPC), diagnostics, targeted therapies, and post-sepsis care solutions.

The session opened with a moving video message from Uwe Wiermann, a sepsis survivor from Germany and Regional Director for the NRW Amputee Association. Uwe shared his personal journey, highlighting the lack of public awareness around sepsis, noting that like many others, he had never heard of the condition before his life-altering experience.

Scientific Presentations from GSA and ESA Experts

• Prof. Antonio Artigas, Chair of Sepsis and Acute Respiratory Failure Research at the Autonomous University of Barcelona, presented on “Sepsis Susceptibility and Comorbidities”, exploring the European epidemiology of sepsis and how factors such as sex, socio-economic status, nutrition, and pre-existing conditions influence outcomes, especially in older adults.

• Prof. Lisa Mellhammar, Associate Professor and Senior Consultant at Skåne University Hospital in Lund, Sweden, shared insights from a nationwide cohort study (1987–2022) on pediatric sepsis. Her findings revealed that children who survive sepsis face elevated mortality and long-term health challenges even five years post-infection. She also emphasized the pressing need for more comprehensive pediatric data at national and global levels.

• Prof. Evangelos J. Giamarellos-Bourboulis, Chair of the European Sepsis Alliance and Professor of Internal Medicine and Infectious Diseases at the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, concluded the session with a presentation titled “From Trained Immunity to Vaccination: Room for Prevention from Multidrug-Resistant Bacteria?” He presented pioneering research showing how BCG vaccination can enhance immune responses and provide protection against respiratory and hospital-acquired infections, including COVID-19.

Looking Ahead: Global Collaboration

In her closing remarks, Dr. Jashi invited participants to engage with the Global Sepsis Innovations Platform, a new initiative by the GSA aimed at accelerating collaboration around unmet needs in sepsis prevention, diagnostics, treatment, and post-sepsis care.

She extended her gratitude to Prof. Konrad Reinhart, President of Sepsis Stiftung, and Sanofi for their partnership in co-convening this impactful session at the ESCMID Global Symposium.

Thank you all for joining the 5th World Sepsis Congress yesterday – the congress was a monumental success, with almost 12,000 registrations from more than 180 countries. A full report will be available in May. We are immensely thankful to over 80 speakers from more than 35 countries, as well as our excellent moderators.

We would like to extend a special thanks to Dr. Tedros, WHO Director-General, for his video address in the Opening Session, and Sir Jeremy Farrar, WHO’s Chief Scientist, for his keynote in Session 8.

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Release Schedule

All sessions of the 5th World Sepsis Congress have been recorded and will be available on YouTube and wherever you get your podcasts over the next couple of weeks.

We will release the sessions weekly on Tuesdays, starting with the Opening Session on April 15, 2025. From then on, we will be releasing two new sessions each Tuesday:

• S1: Opening Session – Tuesday, April 15, 2025

• S2: Sepsis Epidemiology and Clinical Data – Tuesday, April 22, 2025

• S3: The Voices of Patients in Advocacy, Research, and Beyond – Tuesday, April 22, 2025

• S4: Novel Approaches to Pathogen Detection and Sepsis Diagnostics – Tuesday, April 29, 2025

• S5: The Immunization Agenda for Sepsis – Tuesday, April 29, 2025

• S6: Pathways for Sepsis Care – Integrated Emergency, Critical, and Operative Care (ECO) – Tuesday, May 6, 2025

• S7: Bridging Sepsis Knowledge Gaps in HICs and LMICs – Tuesday, May 6, 2025

• S8: Infection Prevention and Control in Community and Healthcare Settings – Tuesday, May 13, 2025

• S9: Reducing Sepsis Mortality Through System Change – Lessons from Trailblazing Countries? – Tuesday, May 13, 2025

• S10: AI Solutions for Sepsis – Tuesday, May 20, 2025

• S11: The Research Agenda for AMR and Sepsis – Tuesday, May 20, 2025

• S12: Pediatric Sepsis: The LMICs Cannot Wait for Improved Outcomes Any Longer – Tuesday, May 27, 2025

• S13: State of the Art in Sepsis Research: Emerging Immunomodulatory Approaches – Tuesday, May 27, 2025

• S14: Sepsis in Emergencies and Humanitarian Crisis – Tuesday, June 3, 2025

• S15: Prevention and Rehabilitation of Long-Term Sequelae From Sepsis – Tuesday, June 3, 2025

Or just search for ‘World Sepsis Congress’ on YouTube or in your favorite podcast app. You can already subscribe on either platform to be automatically notified when new sessions become available.

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Certificate of Attendance

Your Certificates of Attendance will be available on April 22 at the latest, and you will receive exact instructions on how to obtain yours with the session mailing for Sessions 2 and 3 on April 22 – stay tuned.

The first session of the 5th World Sepsis Congress is now live:

Participating in all 15 sessions of the 5th WSC is free and incredibly easy – just click on the button below and enter your email if you are registered already. If not, simply register for the congress here before joining the livestream.

Pro tip: If you can’t make it, just register anyway and we will send you the links to the recordings once available.

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About the 5th World Sepsis Congress

The Global Sepsis Alliance proudly presents the 5th World Sepsis Congress, a free, virtual event bringing together over 90 leading experts from around the world to discuss the latest in sepsis research, innovation, and policy.

The program features 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 early. 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, which will make patients' voices heard and showcase lessons from countries that are reducing sepsis mortality through system change.

Registrations for the 5th World Sepsis Congress remain open. Attendees can participate live on their internet-connected devices and access recordings on demand after the event.

Don't miss this opportunity to gain insights and knowledge from the world's leading sepsis experts. Register now and be part of this global effort to improve sepsis outcomes for patients everywhere. For more information on the program, speakers, and time zones, and to register for free, please visit worldsepsiscongress.org.

Marianne haverkamp and Duncan Brown, GSSFC Co-Chairs

The Global Sepsis Alliance is proud to announce the launch of the Global Sepsis Survivors and Families Committee (GSSFC), which will meet for the first time on 15 April 2025 at 14:00 CEST.

The GSSFC will serve as a dedicated platform for sepsis survivors and family members to connect, share experiences, and advocate for greater awareness and improved care. Building on the success of the European Sepsis Alliance’s Patient and Family Support Working Group, this new global committee will empower the survivor community to drive change, locally and internationally.

The 2030 Global Agenda for Sepsis suggests that awareness on sepsis and its sequelae should be improved among the public, media and policymakers through consistent advocacy, a simplified new narrative on sepsis, and the engagement of sepsis survivors and patient families.

The Committee will be co-chaired by Marianne Haverkamp, who also leads the European Sepsis Alliance’s Patient and Family Support Working Group, and Duncan Brown, father of Kuan Brown who passed away unexpectedly due to undiagnosed sepsis, both of whom bring poignant experiences and a strong commitment to advancing the cause.

Through its work, the GSSFC aims to:

• Amplify the voices of sepsis survivors and families in global advocacy, leveraging the GSA network and activities.

• Share successful stories, strategies, and tools for improving sepsis awareness, care and support.

• Raise awareness on life after sepsis, including the physical, cognitive, and psychological challenges survivors and caregivers face.

• Facilitate peer support and build a global survivor network.

• Develop multilingual advocacy resources and host regular webinars and workshops.

If you are a sepsis survivor or family member interested in joining the Committee and contributing to its work, please contact Simone Mancini, GSA Partnership Lead, at Simone.Mancini@global-sepsis-alliance.org.

Together, we can strengthen the global voice of those most affected by sepsis, and create lasting impact.

The 5th World Sepsis Congress is almost here – starting Tuesday, April 8 at 14:00h Central European Summer Time, free of charge and entirely online.

Participating in all 15 sessions of the 5th WSC is free and incredibly easy – just click on the button below and enter your email if you are registered already. If not, simply register for the congress here before joining the livestream.

Pro tip: If you can’t make it, just register anyway and we will send you the links to the recordings once available.

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ABOUT the 5th World Sepsis Congress

The Global Sepsis Alliance proudly presents the 5th World Sepsis Congress, a free, virtual event bringing together over 90 leading experts from around the world to discuss the latest in sepsis research, innovation, and policy.

The program features 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 early. 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, which will make patients' voices heard and showcase lessons from countries that are reducing sepsis mortality through system change.

Registrations for the 5th World Sepsis Congress remain open. Attendees can participate live on their internet-connected devices and access recordings on demand after the event.

Don't miss this opportunity to gain insights and knowledge from the world's leading sepsis experts. Register now and be part of this global effort to improve sepsis outcomes for patients everywhere. For more information on the program, speakers, and time zones, and to register for free, please visit worldsepsiscongress.org.