French Ministry Issues Report - 10 Measures to Improve the Prevention, Diagnosis, and Management of Sepsis in France

In May 2018, the French Director-General of Health, Prof. Jérôme Salomon, appointed Prof. Djillali Annane to write a report on improving the prevention, diagnosis, and management of sepsis in France.

Prof. Annane, recognized as one of the world’s leading experts on sepsis and member of the steering committee of the European Sepsis Alliance, worked with virtually all stakeholders in France, including many medical societies, to develop a comprehensive plan to action. Among the 10 recommendations made in the report, priority is given to raising awareness among the public and health professionals to detect the signs of sepsis as early as possible, as well as to implement a specific sepsis care pathway, adapted to all ages of life.

In 2017, the World Health Assembly and the World Health Organization made sepsis a global health priority by adopting a resolution to improve, prevent, diagnose, and manage sepsis. This resolution was spearheaded by the Global Sepsis Alliance and urges UN Member States to implement appropriate measures to reduce the human and health economic burden of sepsis.

This report on sepsis, and the fact that it was commissioned by the French Government, is a promising first step for France and hopefully serves as a blueprint for more countries to develop and implement comprehensive national action plans on sepsis. The GSA supports this process via its regional sepsis alliances and has both experience as well as dedicated staff to help implement national sepsis plans - please contact us if you or your organization is pursuing such plans.

About Sepsis

Sepsis arises when the body’s response to an infection injures its own tissues and organs. It may lead to shock, multi-organ failure, and death - especially if not recognized early and treated promptly. Sepsis is the final common pathway to death from most infectious diseases worldwide.