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), and the International Federation of Medical Students’ Associations (IFMSA).
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.
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).
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, and H.E. Dr. Abla El-Alfy, Deputy Minister of Health for Population and Family Development of Egypt.
Featured speakers include Tore Laerdal, Executive Chairperson of Laerdal Medical; Hon. Magda Robalo, Co-Chair of the UHC2030 Executive Committee and former Minister of Health of Guinea-Bissau; 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 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.
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.
