Stronger Prospects of WHO and GSA Collaboration

Dr. Mariam Jashi – CEO of the Global Sepsis Alliance and Secretary General of the Medical Women’s International Association – attended the WHO Executive Board meeting as part of the Non-State Actors (NSA) delegation and had the opportunity to meet Dr. Tedros Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General. 

During the visit on January 22-25, Dr. Jashi delivered 2 statements on sepsis at the WHO Executive Board and met the Heads of Departments and colleagues working on different aspects of sepsis prevention, detection, and management.

GSA’s CEO had a working meeting with Dr. Rudi Eggers, Director of WHO HQ Integrated Health Services Department (IHS), and his colleagues - Prof. Benedetta Allegranzi – Unit Head, Infection Prevention and Control (IPC); Lee A. Wallis – Lead of Emergency Care in Clinical Services and Systems and Emilie Calvello Hynes – Technical Officer of Universal Health Coverage-Life Course Division.

The discussion covered updates on the WHO's work on sepsis tools and guidelines, including the newest release of the WHO website on clinical management of sepsis.

Dr. Jashi briefed colleagues on the latest work of GSA, including the Berlin Declaration, the meeting at UNGA78 in New York, the 2023 WHS Side Event on Sepsis, and the ongoing work on the renewed Global Agenda for Sepsis. 

Dr. Jashi had a parallel working meeting with Dr. Nedret Emiroglu – Director of Country Readiness Strengthening for Health Emergencies at WHO. The discussion covered the need for implementation of the WHA 70.7 Resolution on Sepsis in Emergencies and the ongoing work of the department on the CRR framework. 

Briefly, Dr. Jashi had an opportunity to meet Dr. Anshu Banerjee – Director of Maternal, Newborn, Child, and Adolescent Health & Ageing (MCA) Department and looks forward to closer dialogue and partnership, given the alarming burden of Maternal and Neonatal Sepsis. 

Under the leadership of Dr. Eggers, WHO and GSA agreed to strengthen the bilateral partnership, including regular meetings that will engage colleagues from IHS, Emergency, and MCA Departments of WHO and leadership, and the Regional Sepsis Alliances of the GSA.