Saatja: "Mariam Jashi" <
[email protected]>
Saaja: "Karmen Joller - SOM" <
[email protected]>
Teema: Attn.: H.E. Minister Joller– 2025 World Sepsis Day - Estonia
Kuupäev: 2025-08-31 19:24
Tähelepanu! Tegemist on välisvõrgust saabunud kirjaga.
Tundmatu saatja korral palume linke ja faile mitte avada.
H.E. Dr. Karmen Joller
Minister of Social Affairs
Estonia
Dear Minister Joller, Your Excellency,
On behalf of the <https://globalsepsisalliance.org/> Global Sepsis Alliance
(GSA), the <https://www.europeansepsisalliance.org/> European Sepsis
Alliance and the Global Sepsis Survivor and Family Committee, we extend our
sincere appreciation for your dedication to advancing the national and
global health agenda.
Through this letter, we cordially invite you to further strengthen the
leadership of Estonia in combatting Sepsis, the global health threat that
affects up to 50 million children, women and men every year and accounts for
nearly 20% of all deaths worldwide.
As <https://www.worldsepsisday.org/> World Sepsis Day 2025 approaches on
September 13, under the theme “5 Facts × 5 Actions”, we respectfully request
your Ministry to contribute to this year’s campaign by raising awareness
among policymakers, media and public.
Please find attached our official letter co-signed by Prof. Niranjan ‘Tex’
Kissoon, President of the Global Sepsis Alliance and Prof. Evangelos J.
Giamarellos-Bourboulis, Chair of the European Sepsis Alliance.
We are also delighted to share the
<https://static1.squarespace.com/static/58a7025b8419c215b30b2df3/t/68a87768de0c1263e0fd2cf9/1755871080865/2025_WorldSepsisDay_Media_Policy_Brief.pdf>
2025 World Sepsis Day Policy and Media Brief (Annex A) to support your
communication and advocacy efforts.
Our alliances and experts stand ready to provide any assistance your
Ministry may require in scaling up the
<https://globalsepsisalliance.org/2030-global-agenda-for-sepsis> 2030 Global
Agenda for Sepsis in Estonia.
For information and coordination purposes, we are hereby copying esteemed
colleagues at WHO.
Thank you in advance for your commitment.
We look forward to your leadership in positioning Sepsis more prominently in
the national and global health architecture.
Sincerely,
__________________________________
Hon. Dr. Mariam Jashi
CEO
Global Sepsis Alliance
Fmr. Chair of Parliamentary Committee and Deputy Minister of Health of
Georgia
Global Board Member - UNITE Parliamentarians Network for Global Health
Secretary General - Medical Women's International Association
Advisory Board Chair - Tbilisi Medical Academy
Council Member - Virchow Foundation for Global Health
2025
WORLD SEPSIS DAY
5 FACTS x 5 ACTIONS
POLICY AND MEDIA BRIEF
Developed by the Global Sepsis Alliance in consultation with
the Global Sepsis Survivors and Family Committee
Introduction to 2025 World Sepsis Day
Since 2012, over 54,000 stakeholders from 170 countries - including policymakers,
national health authorities, healthcare providers, researchers, innovators, advocates,
Sepsis survivors, families affected by this devastating medical emergency, and medical
students – mark the World Sepsis Day (WSD) on September 13.
World Sepsis Day was initiated by the Global Sepsis Alliance (GSA) – the largest professional
and advocacy network in the fight against Sepsis. WSD campaign events are held by
GSA members and partners across Africa, Asia-Pacific, Europe, Eastern Mediterranean,
Latin America and Caribbeans, and North America. These campaigns include scientific
conferences, training sessions, media outreach, and the launch of national, regional or
global initiatives on Sepsis literacy or advocacy.
2024 World Sepsis Day was marked by the historic launch of the 2030 Global Agenda for
Sepsis at the German Parliament, the first multi-year strategy to prevent 12 million new
Sepsis cases and save 2 million lives over the next 5 years.
In 2025, World Sepsis Day aims to mark a new chapter in the global Sepsis response,
with a strong focus on media engagement and public awareness to highlight this largely
invisible threat that causes 1 in 5 deaths globally.
Theme of 2025 World Sepsis Day
„5 Facts × 5 Actions“
Raising Sepsis literacy is essential to achieving a whole-of-society approach against this
medical emergency. The Global Sepsis Alliance proposes the 2025 theme “5 Facts x 5
Actions” as standardized brief for all stakeholders. This theme ref lects:
• Five key messages on the global burden of Sepsis.
• Five policy and advocacy actions that can help save millions of lives.
We call on all policymakers, healthcare leaders, and advocates to promote the following:
2
Fact 1 ■ Every 3 seconds, someone dies of Sepsis
■ Sepsis affects 48.9 million people annually
■ Sepsis is responsible for 1 in 5 deaths worldwide
Sepsis is the leading ■ WHO estimates 11 million annual deaths due to Sepsis
■ IHME and the University of Oxford, estimate 21 million Sepsis-related deaths
cause of death in 2021, including 4 million AMR-associated deaths. Please see MICROBE viz-
globally hub for your country estimates here
■ 85% of the global Sepsis burden is concentrated in the Global South, including
low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) across Africa, Asia, and Latin
America
Fact 2 ■ Yet, Sepsis remains the leading cause of hospital deaths, even in high-income
countries such as the Unites States
■ Sepsis affects 20 million children under the age of five each year, including
Sepsis Hits the newborns.
Most Vulnerable the ■ Women, the elderly, and immunocompromised individuals are also at high
risk of severe outcomes
Hardest - Globally ■ Across all regions, poverty and limited access to care make Sepsis more
deadly – especially in areas where health systems are overstretched or under-
resourced.
Fact 3 ■ Prevention of Sepsis through immunization, WASH and other infection
control measures is vital.
■ At the same time, early detection of suspected Sepsis is life-saving
Most Deaths ■ Every hour of delay in antibiotic treatment increases the risk of deaths by 0.4%
to 7%
from Sepsis Are ■ Timely diagnosis and administration of antibiotics, IV f luids,
Preventable immunomodulatory and other therapies save millions of lives
■ Despite affecting every country and causing 20% of deaths globally, only 15
countries have Sepsis policies and action plans
■ Fewer than 10% of countries have Sepsis protocols for timely and effective
Fact 4 treatment of children or adults
■ We applaud 180 countries for their national AMR plans, and since AMR-related
deaths are part of Sepsis mortality, governments should urgently align AMR
Only 15 of 194 and Sepsis strategies
■ Sepsis care on average costs 36,000 Euro per patient and 3.65% of heath sector
countries invest in budgets. Sepsis policies saves lives and costs.
Sepsis ■ Additional data: In the U.S., sepsis accounts for $62 billion in hospital costs
annually, with $3.5 billion from readmissions. In Germany, with ~320,000
sepsis cases annually and 27% in-hospital mortality, direct 3-year healthcare
costs are estimated at €6.8 billion (US $7.7 billion) per year.
■ 2030 Sustainable Development Goals cannot be achieved without stronger
Sepsis response, including targets for reduction of maternal and child
Fact 5 mortality, or deaths from non-communicable diseases and injuries.
■ Sepsis is a powerful proxy indicator of national health system performance
and Universal Health Coverage. Its prevention, early detection, and effective
A stronger Sepsis treatment ref lect a well-functioning health system—from primary care and
emergency response to intensive care and post-sepsis rehabilitation.
response is essential ■ Pandemic preparedness requires stronger Sepsis response, as 78% of
for Global Health COVID-19 patients in intensive care units had Sepsis
■ Civilians, healthcare workers, military and humanitarian aid personnel face
increased Sepsis risks during emergencies
3
5 Actions Against Sepsis
Action 1 ■ Health ministries and parliamentary committees should develop and finance
national Sepsis policies and action plans
■ Sepsis policies and action plans should be integrated into broader health sector
Every country reforms and Universal Health Coverage, including for maternal, neonatal and
should prioritize child health and immunization programmes.
■ Governments should seek support for Sepsis response from bilateral and
and fund Sepsis multilateral donors, the World Bank, and other development banks as well as
response GAVI and the Global Fund.
Action 2 ■ National health authorities and professional associations must create
evidence-based clinical guidelines for Sepsis care.
■ These should include community and clinical pathways and first-hour Sepsis
Every country bundles for children and adults.
should develop ■ Healthcare providers across all healthcare levels – from primary care to
emergency medical teams and intensive care units – should be trained in
Sepsis protocols Sepsis care protocols
and train healthcare ■ Sepsis prevention and management should be part of medical and nursing
providers curricula
■ Sepsis is one of the best investment cases in Global Health.
Action 3 ■ The United Nations should call for global investment in Sepsis Science and
capacity building
Global Health actors ■ Financial Institutions (Word Bank, IMF, etc.), Global Public Private
Partnerships (e.g., GAVI, Global Fund, UNITAID), philanthropic foundations
should prioritize and research programs (e.g., EU Horizon) should prioritize Sepsis response
and fund Sepsis and research.
■ We need investments for new vaccines, diagnostics, AI tools, antibiotics,
response immunomodulatory and precision medicine approaches for saving millions of
lives from Sepsis
■ Sepsis kills more people than heart attacks or strokes, yet public awareness
Action 4 remains low
■ Media can be a game changer in Sepsis literacy – making Sepsis a household
term and understanding that it is a time-critical emergency and needs
Media can play immediate medical care
a leading role in ■ Journalists, inf luencers and communicators are vital in holding governments
saving lives from accountable.
■ We call on all representatives of media– TV, radio, press and social - to
Sepsis regularly report on Sepsis and advocate for action
Action 5
■ Every future pandemic will increase Sepsis risks and Sepsis should be
embedded in pandemic preparedness plans
Prioritize Sepsis ■ Armed conf licts, disasters and humanitarian crises also increase risks and
in Pandemic governments should include Sepsis prevention, surveillance and clinical care
and Emergency in emergency plans.
Response
4
Additional Information and Resource
Global Sepsis Alliance
■ The Global Sepsis Alliance (GSA) is the largest professional network and advocacy voice for patients and
families affected by Sepsis and septic shock. It represents 120 member organizations, including patient
groups and professional associations across 6 Regional Sepsis Alliances in Africa, Asia-Pacific, Europe,
Eastern Mediterranean, Latin America and the Caribbean, as well as Canada and the United States.
■ In 2012 GSA launched the World Sepsis Day (WSD) movement on 13 September, which now engages over
54,000 stakeholders in 170 countries. The WSD page also provides media and communication toolkits and
resource materials for different target groups in multiple languages.
■ GSA also initiated fully online, annual f lagship events — the World Sepsis Congresses (WSC) and WSC
Spotlights. Since 2016, WSCs have reached over 122,000 healthcare providers, researchers, policymakers,
innovators, and advocates with state-of-the-art knowledge in prevention, antimicrobial stewardship,
early detection, and timely and effective treatment of Sepsis.
■ GSA played a central role in the adoption of the historic 2017 World Health Assembly (WHA) Resolution
on Sepsis (WHA70.7). Finally, GSA led the development of the Global Sepsis Agenda 2030, the first multi-
year strategy in partnership with over 70 stakeholders worldwide and the launch of the document at the
German Parliament with a special video address from the WHO Director-General.
About Sepsis
■ Sepsis is a life-threatening medical emergency, when the body’s (the host’s) response to infection causes
injury to its own tissues and organs. This can lead to shock, multi-organ failure, disability and death,
especially if it is not recognized early and treated promptly.
■ Sepsis is the final common pathway to death from most infectious diseases, including bacterial, viral
and fungal pathogens, as well as parasites, such as those causing malaria. Despite the advancements, 30-
day septic shock mortality remains high even in developed regions of North America (33.7%) and Europe
(32.5%).
■ Sepsis survivors often face long-term sequelae, lifechanging effects of the critical illness, and need
specialized care and rehabilitation
2030 Global Agenda for Sepsis
■ The 2030 Global Agenda for Sepsis is the first multi-year strategic vision aimed at
alleviating the significant human, societal, healthcare and economic burden of Sepsis
and its sequelae through concerted efforts of UN Member States and stakeholders at
national, regional and global levels.
■ The 2030 Global Agenda for Sepsis was launched at the German Bundestag in September
2024 in partnership with the Global Health Sub-Committee of the German Parliament,
UNITE Parliamentarians Network for Global Health Virchow Foundation and Sepsis
Stiftung.
■ The ultimate goal of the 2030 Global Agenda is to avert millions of preventable deaths
and disabilities among children, women, and men by stronger positioning of Sepsis in
the global health and development architecture and enhancing response capacities to this
medical emergency in community and healthcare settings.
5
28 August, 2025
Berlin, Germany
H.E. Dr. Karmen Joller
Minister of Social Affairs
Ministry of Social Affairs, Suur-Ameerika 1, 10122 Tallinn, ESTONIA
2025 WORLD SEPSIS DAY – SEPTEMBER 13
“5 Facts x 5 Actions”
Dear Minister Joller, Your Excellency,
On behalf of the Global Sepsis Alliance (GSA), the European Sepsis Alliance (ESA), and the
Global Sepsis Survivor and Family Committee (GSSFC), we extend our sincere appreciation for
your dedication to advancing the global health agenda.
As World Sepsis Day 2025 is fast approaching on September 13, we respectfully seek your
leadership in marking this important occasion in Estonia. We have been honoured to convene
2023 and 2024 World Sepsis Day (WSD) campaigns under the Patronage of Dr. Tedros
Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General and we look forward to receiving his special video
address for 2025 WSD. For more information, please refer to the link.
This year’s campaign themed “5 Facts × 5 Actions” highlights the urgent need to raise public
awareness and drive policy to combat Sepsis – a global health threat affecting nearly 50 million
children, women and men each year and responsible for 20% of all deaths worldwide.
To support the implementation of the 2030 Global Agenda for Sepsis, launched at the German
Parliament as the first multi-year strategy in this field, we cordially invite your Ministry to:
• Organize a press conference/media briefing on September 13 or during Sepsis
Awareness Month in September to promote public literacy about Sepsis.
• Include Sepsis survivors and affected family members in the media events to share their
personal experiences and inspire broader public and policy action.
• Present national Sepsis data on morbidity and mortality (based on national records or
the MICROBE database) and outline current or planned strategies for prevention, early
detection, and clinical management in both paediatric and adult populations.
In support of your advocacy efforts, we are delighted to share the attached 2025 World Sepsis
Day Policy and Media Brief (Annex A), which summarizes:
• Five key facts about the global burden of Sepsis
• Five life-saving policy actions for governments, media, and stakeholders, and
• Evidence-based advocacy messages and statistics for media use.
We would also like to draw your attention to the latest global and national data from MICROBE
database, developed by the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) and the
University of Oxford. According to the estimates, in 2021 alone, 4,457 people in Estonia died
from Sepsis as an immediate or intermediate cause, including approximately 1,371 deaths due to
bacterial infections and 616 deaths associated with antimicrobial resistance (AMR).
The Global Sepsis Alliance, together with our network of 122 member organizations across 6
geographic regions, looks forward to strengthening collaboration with your Ministry toward
organizing impactful activities for World Sepsis Day 2025 and implementation of the 2030 Global
Agenda for Sepsis in Estonia.
For any assistance needed, your office may contact Simone Mancini – Partnership Lead at the
Berlin head office of the Global Sepsis Alliance (
[email protected]).
Thank you in advance for your commitment to elevating Sepsis on the national health agenda
and for helping prevent millions of avoidable deaths worldwide.
We look forward to your response and to the successful implementation of the 2025 World Sepsis
Day events in your country.
Please accept, Your Excellency, the assurances of our highest consideration.
Sincerely,
Prof. Niranjan Kissoon Hon. Dr. Mariam Jashi Prof. Evangelos J. Giamarellos-Bourboulis
President CEO Chair
Global Sepsis Alliance Global Sepsis Alliance European Sepsis Alliance
Past President, World Federation for Former Chair of Parliamentary President
Paediatric Intensive & Critical Care Committee and Deputy Minister Hellenic Institute for the Study of Sepsis
Societies (WFICCS) of Health of Georgia