World Sepsis Day 2025

13 September marks World Sepsis Day — a global movement bringing together individuals, healthcare professionals, and organisations to raise awareness and take action against one of the world’s deadliest yet most preventable conditions.

Sepsis is a life-threatening response to infection that can cause tissue damage, organ failure, and death if not recognised and treated promptly. Every year, it affects millions of people worldwide, leaving lasting consequences for patients, their families, and the communities they belong to. Awareness and timely intervention remain the most powerful tools to reduce sepsis-related deaths.

As part of this year’s activities for World Sepsis Day 2025, the European Society of Intensive Care Medicine (ESICM) proudly hosted United Against Sepsis, a hybrid event held in Brussels and online. Organised in collaboration with Sepsibel and Sepsis Stronger Together, the event brought together experts, patients, and healthcare professionals for a day of exchange and advocacy.

The programme combined:

• Policy, guidelines, and patient advocacy with discussions on the urgency of a European sepsis plan, patient-driven initiatives such as Martha’s Rule, new patient-centred sepsis guidelines, and the 2030 Global Agenda for Sepsis.
• Scientific and clinical insights exploring inborn errors of immunity in sepsis patients, the role of intuition in diagnostics, and reflections from patients to healthcare professionals.

The voices of sepsis survivors serve as powerful reminders of the life-saving importance of early recognition and urgent treatment. Their stories not only raise awareness but also inspire collective action, underscoring the critical need for sustained research, education, and advocacy to lessen the global burden of sepsis.

World Sepsis Day is more than a date — it is a global movement for change. Whether you are an ICU healthcare professional, policymaker, survivor, or advocate, your voice and actions matter. By raising awareness, promoting early detection, and supporting better care, we can transform outcomes for patients worldwide.

Together, we have the power to prevent countless deaths and shape a better future in the fight against sepsis.