May 24 – Official Side Event on Sepsis at the 78th World Health Assembly

The Global Sepsis Alliance (GSA) through its strategic partnership with the Medical Women’s International Association and collaboration with the Governments of Guyana and Egypt, the UNITE Parliamentarians Network for Global Health, the Virchow Foundation, Sepsis Stiftung, and CHAI, is proud to convene the first Official Side Event on Sepsis at the 78th World Health Assembly (WHA) in Geneva.

On behalf of all co-organizing partners, the GSA cordially invites Member State delegations, specialized agencies, and non-state actors attending the ongoing 78th WHA to join us on May 24 from 12:30 to 13:50 at Palais des Nations, Room XXII.

This Side Event will feature opening remarks and interventions from distinguished leaders in global health, including high-level officials from co-convening partners and the World Health Organization.

In line with the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the WHO’s Fourteenth General Programme of Work, the meeting aims to catalyze transformative actions for saving 2 million lives from Sepsis by 2030 through stronger political leadership, health systems strengthening, R&D, and more effective prevention and management of Sepsis during health emergencies.

The Side Event aims to consolidate political momentum for the 2030 Global Agenda for Sepsis launched by the Global Sepsis Alliance at the German Parliament in September 2024 in partnership with the Global Health Sub-Committee of the German Bundestag.

The Global Sepsis Alliance and its partners were honored to receive a special video address from Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General, for the occasion of the Agenda launch.

The 2030 Global Agenda for Sepsis is the first global strategy on how to reduce the suffering of 48.9 million children, women, and men annually and improve health outcomes from Sepsis. It was elaborated through the engagement of more than 70 stakeholders and Sepsis survivors from 6 geographic regions.

Engaging the governments of Guyana and Egypt, the Side Event will also encourage other UN Member States to join the High-Level Political Panel on Sepsis to be established in September 2025. The Panel will bring together Heads of State, Health Ministers, and Parliamentarians for positioning Sepsis higher in the global political agenda, including at G7/G20, UN, WHA, national and regional Parliaments, Ministerial summits, and other forums.

Please join us at the upcoming Official WHA78 Side Event on Sepsis and our common vision for making the fight against Sepsis the Next Success Story in Global Health.