Closing the Gaps in Sepsis Diagnosis and Care

Sepsis—organ dysfunction caused by a dysregulated response to infection—is the final common pathway to death from infectious diseases. With over 166 million cases and more than 21 million deaths annually, it represents a global health emergency. Yet, challenges in early diagnosis, treatment, monitoring, and follow-up, combined with fragmented strategies, have left sepsis marginalised in policy, funding, and implementation. Behind these figures are patients and families whose experiences continue to drive the search for better solutions.

Addressing topics from research to health system strengthening and advocacy, this session reframes sepsis through a patient-centred lens, drawing on individual and collective journeys to identify gaps and innovations across the care continuum. It opens and closes with personal stories of crisis and resilience from survivors and bereaved families, some of whom have catalysed political change.

The session highlights research from the Sub-Saharan African Consortium for Advancement of Innovative Care and Research in Sepsis (STAIRS), explores synergies between antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and sepsis, and examines policy responses at national and global levels. Interactive discussion and audience engagement will highlight priorities, challenge assumptions, and connect evidence with lived experience, ultimately leaving participants with a clearer sense of where action is needed most.