The Physician-Patient Alliance for Health & Safety is pleased to partner with the Global Sepsis Alliance to increase awareness of the need for early detection and treatment of sepsis. Below is a press release by the Global Sepsis Alliance urging that sepsis be a global priority.
The Global Sepsis Alliance says not nearly enough is being done to curb sepsis, one of the most prevalent but misdiagnosed, deadly diseases, and designated a global priority by the World Health Organization (WHO) in 2017.
In spite of the unanimous resolution in May 2017 by the Executive Board of the WHO and the World Health Assembly to improve, prevent, diagnose, and manage sepsis through a series of actions directed at developed and developing countries around the world, the majority of countries still have not implemented comprehensive educational programs on sepsis prevention, recognition, and care.
“We are appealing to the United Nation Member States and the WHO to take immediate action on their commitment to prioritize the devastation caused by sepsis worldwide, to issue a report on the prevalence and consequences of sepsis, and to support its member nations globally in the prevention, diagnosis, and management of this preventable global health issue,” said Prof. Dr. Konrad Reinhart, Chair of the Global Sepsis Alliance and Senior Professor at the Center for Sepsis Control and Care at Jena University Hospital and Charité Berlin, Germany.
Sepsis, commonly referred to as ‘blood poisoning’, is the life-threatening condition that arises when the body’s response to infection results in organ dysfunction or failure. Sepsis is often confused with other conditions in its early stages, with delayed recognition of the signs and symptoms quickly leading to multi-system organ failure, and, ultimately, death. Sepsis needs to be treated as an emergency because every delay in administration of antimicrobials and other appropriate measures increases mortality rate on an hourly basis.
“The WHO shares our goal to have the incidence of sepsis, the leading cause of preventable deaths, decrease by at least 20 per cent by the year 2020,” added Prof. Reinhart. “Together, all nations can achieve this by actively promoting good hygiene and hand washing, clean obstetric care, and improvements in sanitation, nutrition, and delivery of clean water. It is also vital that nutrition and vaccination programs be stepped up immediately for at-risk patient populations in resource poor areas.”
On the occasion of World Sepsis Day on September 13th, the Global Sepsis Alliance is urging all nations, with active support of the WHO, to coordinate and align.