High-Level Luncheon on Sepsis on the Margins of 2023 World Health Summit

The Global Sepsis Alliance (GSA) in partnership with the Virchow Foundation for Global Health, Sepsis Stiftung, UNITE Parliamentarians Network for Global Health, Clinton Health Access Initiative (CHAI), Global Antibiotic Research and Development Partnership (GARDP), and Medical Women’s International Association (MWIA) convened the 2nd partnership meeting on sepsis on the margins of the 2023 World Health Summit in Berlin.

On October 15, the High-Level Luncheon on Sepsis at the Berlin Global Health Collective brought together senior officials from Parliaments (France, Germany, Moldova, North Macedonia, and Ukraine), Governments (Federal Ministry of Education and Research of Germany, Embassy of Georgia to the Federal Republic of Germany), UN agencies (WHO, UNFPA), The G20 & G7 Health and Development Partnership, civil society (Women in Global Health), private sector (BRAHMS, Drägerwerk AG, Google, Siemens Healthineers, Sysmex Europe, 4TEEN4, Teqbahn Labs) and academia (STAIRS Project, Consortium of Universities in Global Health, European and Developing Countries Clinical Trials Partnership).

The meeting was attended by the following politicians, legislators, and members of the UNITE Parliamentarian Network for Global Health:

  • Hon. Andrei Belii – Member of Parliament of Moldova and Chair of the Health Committee;

  • Hon. Alan Donnelly – Chair of the G20 & G7 Health and Development Partnership;

  • Hon. Bedri Fazli – Member of Parliament of North Macedonia;

  • Hon. Hermann Groehe – Member of the German Parliament and the former Federal Minister of Health;

  • Hon. Irina Kutsenko – Member of the Odesa City Council (Ukraine), and

  • Hon. Liliana Tanguy – Member of Parliament of France

The meeting was opened by Prof. Detlev Ganten – The Founding President of the World Health Summit and Co-founder of the Virchow Foundation for Global Health. Prof. Ganten highlighted the significance of the fight against sepsis for the attainment of health-related Sustainable Development Goals and briefed the participants on the new partnership initiative of the Virchow Foundation for Global Health and the Global Sepsis Alliance.

Prof. Konrad Reinhart – The Founding President of GSA and President of Sepsis Stiftung – presented the history of the global sepsis movement, the latest evidence on the disease burden from the Institute of Health Metrics and Evaluations (IHEM) that sepsis claims the lives of 13.7 million children, women, and men annually. He highlighted the outstanding leadership and role of Hon. Hermann Groehe, Member of the German Parliament and the former Federal Minister of Health in supporting the GSA efforts for the development and adoption of the 2017 World Health Assembly Resolution on Sepsis.

Mrs. Shahrazad Kiavash – Ambassador for Sepsisfonden, Sepsis Survivor, Speaker, and Triathlete from Sweden – shared her story as a voice of the 50 million people and their families who experience the immense suffering from sepsis every year. Shahrazad has been an inspiration for thousands of sepsis survivors and their families and to the global health leaders and actors, how she has turned her life challenge and pain into an incredible journey of perseverance, victories, and hope.

Dr. Uzma Syed – Chair of the COVID-19 Task Force and Director of the Antimicrobial Stewardship Center of Excellence at Good Samaritan Hospital Medical Center and the Author “COVID-19 Viral Sepsis” – joined the meeting through a special video address. She presented her experience from the COVID-19 pandemic and perspectives on sepsis as a critical element for the attainment of the comprehensive global health agenda.

Dr. Mariam Jashi – Designated CEO of the Global Sepsis Alliances, Former Member of Parliament, and Deputy Minister of Health of Georgia – presented the Berlin Declaration on Sepsis as the urgent call for the enforcement of the 2017 World Health Assembly Resolution (WHA70.7) and reinvigorated global action on sepsis. The Declaration already signed by 75 international health agencies serves as a foundation for the development of the renewed Global Agenda for Sepsis that GSA will lead in coordination with partner organizations.

The Berlin Declaration and the call for urgent action for the global sepsis response were reinforced by statements from:

  • Mr. Dennis Kredler – Vice President of the Global Sepsis Alliances and Sepsis Survivor

  • Hon. Hermann Groehe – Member of Bundestag and the former Federal Minister of Health

  • Dr. Keith Martin – Executive Director of CUGH and the former Member of Parliament in Canada’s House of Commons

  • Dr. Eleanor Nwadinobi – President of the Medical Women’s International Association

  • Dr. Christoph Hamelmann – Chef de Cabinet of WHO Regional Director for the Eastern Mediterranean

  • Dr. Andreas Bergmann – CEO of 4TEEN4 Pharmaceuticals, and

  • Dr. Rupa Patel – Associate Professor Division of Infectious Diseases, Washington University

The High-Level Luncheon on Sepsis was moderated by Mrs. Melanie Whittaker, the General Manager of the Sepsis Stiftung.

Mr. Roland Goehde – CEO and Co-founder of the Virchow Foundation for Global Health – summarized the discussions and the consensus for the urgent reinvigoration of the sepsis agenda and a stronger and better-coordinated partnership for the cause. He re-emphasized that attainment of the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals would not be feasible without an effective global response to sepsis and expressed hope for continued and stronger partnership in the area.

The High-Level Luncheon on Sepsis on the Margins of the 2023 World Health Summit was the 2nd event initiated by the Global Sepsis Alliance in partnership with the 6 co-sponsor agencies - Virchow Foundation for Global Health, Sepsis Stiftung, Clinton Health Access Initiative (CHAI), UNITE Parliamentarians Network for Global Health, the Global Antibiotic Research and Development Partnership (GARDP) and the Medical Women’s International Association (MWIA).

The 1st High-Level Side Event on “Synergizing Global Actions for Sepsis, AMR, and PPPR for Attaining Health Related SDGs” was convened on September 21, 2023, in New York on the margins of the UN General Assembly.

As the next step to the series of the 2023 high-level meetings and dialogue, the Global Sepsis Alliance will lead the development of the renewed global agenda for sepsis in partnership with the Regional Sepsis Alliances, key partner agencies, and global stakeholders.

Marvin Zick