Mariam Jashi Calls on WHO Executive Board to Prioritize Sepsis

Dr. Mariam Jashi is urging the World Health Organization (WHO) Executive Board and governments worldwide to prioritize sepsis in Universal Health Coverage (UHC) packages, as well as in preparedness and response plans for future pandemics and other health emergencies.

Dr. Jashi, CEO of the Global Sepsis Alliance (GSA), is currently attending the 156th Session of the WHO Executive Board in Geneva as the Secretary-General of the Medical Women’s International Association (MWIA). She expresses her deepest gratitude to the MWIA leadership for the opportunity to advocate for sepsis within the strategic partnership between the two organizations.

On February 4, Dr. Jashi addressed the WHO Executive Board, expressing concern that despite significant progress, 2 billion people are still driven into poverty each year due to catastrophic health expenditures. She called on national governments to prioritize increased political investments in UHC, with a special focus on providing financial protection to the most vulnerable populations.

Dr. Jashi also urged WHO Member States to integrate sepsis into national UHC packages, aligning with the 2030 Global Agenda for Sepsis, launched by the Global Sepsis Alliance at the German Parliament. She emphasized that the global community will not be able to achieve UHC goals without addressing sepsis – a leading cause of death, responsible for at least 11 million fatalities annually, and accounting for 2.6% of healthcare budgets worldwide.

Dr. Jashi concluded her statement by recalling the words of WHO Director-General, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, who said, “Nobody should die from Sepsis.”

On February 6, Dr. Jashi delivered a second statement, highlighting the urgency of integrating sepsis into emergency preparedness and response plans, including the ongoing negotiations of the Pandemic Accord.

In this statement, Dr. Jashi began by paying tribute to the dedication and sacrifices of WHO staff and healthcare professionals who responded to 45 health emergencies in 2024 alone.

She also stressed that civilians, healthcare workers, and peacekeeping forces are at heightened risk of infections and sepsis during armed conflicts, disease outbreaks, climate crises, and displacement. Specifically, Dr. Jashi noted that 78% of COVID-19 patients in intensive care units had sepsis, and that every future pandemic will increase the risk of this medical emergency.