Information & Registration: wscspotlight.org

Program Chairs: Joao Paulo Souza, Niranjan ‘Tex’ Kissoon

Program

Reducing maternal and newborn deaths is a priority for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, implementing the UN Global Strategy for Women’s, Children’s and Adolescents’ Health, and executing the Strategies Toward Ending Preventable Maternal Mortality (EPMM). However, the third most common direct cause of maternal mortality, which is maternal sepsis, received less attention, research, and programming. Undetected or poorly managed maternal infections can lead to sepsis, death or disability for the mother and increased likelihood of early neonatal infection and other adverse outcomes. Infections leading to sepsis are responsible for about one fifth of the world’s annual 2.7 million neonatal deaths. In South Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa, about 25 % of all neonatal deaths are due to infections.

Sepsis can be prevented to a considerable degree by vaccination against the underlying infections, better sanitation, maternal and neonatal care, and clean delivery. Sepsis induced organ dysfunction and shock require urgent supportive therapies in addition to the measures to eradicate the inciting infection. The odds of surviving sepsis can be dramatically improved by early recognition, appropriate treatment with antimicrobials, and supportive emergency care measures.

The Global Sepsis Alliance and the World Health Organization are pleased that the ‘World Sepsis Congress Spotlight: Maternal and Neonatal Sepsis’ brings together highly ranked representatives of international and national health care authorities, NGOs, policy makers, patients, patient advocate groups, many renowned clinical scientists, researchers, and pioneers in maternal and newborn care.

As program chairs on behalf of the Global Sepsis Alliance and the World Health Organization, we cordially invite you to join us for this free online congress. This event takes place on September 12th, one day before the 6th World Sepsis Day on September 13th, and will contribute to wider recognition of maternal and newborn sepsis by policy makers and members of the public. The congress will inform health care workers and lay people of the burden of sepsis and of evidence based sepsis management to save lives. Finally, we hope that it will empower sepsis survivors and their families to join the fight against sepsis and to overcome the long-term consequences of maternal and newborn sepsis.

Niranjan ‘Tex’ Kissoon, Global Sepsis Alliance  
Joao Paulo Souza, World Health Organization

The WSC Spotlight: Maternal and Neonatal Sepsis is a joint project by the Global Sepsis Alliance, initiator of World Sepsis Day and World Sepsis Congress, and the World Health Organization.

World Sepsis Day Head Office
Global Sepsis Alliance
Center for Sepsis Control and Care
Paul-Schneider-Str. 2 | 07747 Jena | Germany
office@world-sepsis-day.org - www.world-sepsis-day.org