The Dubai Resolution
At the launch meeting of the Eastern Mediterranean Sepsis Alliance in April 2019 in Dubai, the Dubai Resolution was adopted by the participants.
The Dubai Sepsis Resolution – Commitment to Improve Prevention and Care of Sepsis in the Eastern Mediterranean Region
Sepsis results when infections lead to vital organ failure and is responsible for killing over 6 million* people per year worldwide.
Talking of sepsis, Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO), recently said, “the tragedy is that most of these 6 million deaths are preventable...” Sepsis also results in major disability among survivors and has a significant economic impact worldwide.
The Eastern Mediterranean Region is widely diversified with countries that show great variations in economic, social, and health indicators. The natural and manmade disasters and conflicts that affect several countries constitute a major challenge. These deplorable circumstances and make the populations in this region even more prone to sepsis.
Sepsis does not discriminate against age, gender, religion, or geographic borders. Each year in the Eastern Mediterranean Region, an estimated more than 2.7 million individuals develop sepsis. At least 540,000 do not survive, and an additional one- third of survivors die during the following year. Many survivors face lifelong consequences, such as new physical, psychological, and cognitive problems. This makes sepsis the most preventable cause of death and disability in this region.
That is why on April 4th 2019, on the occasion of the 15th Emirates Critical Care Conference, representatives and members of the International Pan Arab Critical Care Medicine Society, the Global Sepsis Alliance, the World Federation of Critical Care Nurses, the African Sepsis Alliance, and representatives of several medical professional societies of the Eastern Mediterranean Region agreed on the following resolution:
Noting that sepsis is recognized as a global health priority by the WHO Resolution of 2017 and that member nations are urged to adopt national policies to improve prevention, recognition, and treatment of sepsis;
Recognizing that despite the unacceptable number of deaths and disabilities caused by sepsis, the awareness of sepsis among healthcare providers and laypeople in the countries in the Eastern Mediterranean Region is very low;
Stressing that there is wide variation among EMR countries regarding healthcare services to treat sepsis;
Identifying that hospital-acquired infections and antimicrobial resistance are a major healthcare issue in EM countries;
We urge government authorities, policy makers, healthcare managers, professionals, and associated societies to:
endorse the WHO Resolution on Sepsis and establish national action plans to prevent sepsis, to enhance early recognition and management in a continuous effort to improve access to care and adequate resources and to reduce inequity
focus on sepsis prevention by providing adequate sanitation, vaccination to at-risk groups, and adequate nutrition, as well as reducing maternal and pediatric deaths
cooperate in partnership to ensure adequate sepsis treatment in all nations, through undergraduate and post graduate training of healthcare professionals focused on improving outcomes in both patients and survivors, recognizing that the establishment of adequate national policies to treat sepsis in one country will clearly benefit other nations
promote sepsis awareness among lay people and healthcare workers, including recognizing World Sepsis Day (September 13th) as a national date
implement measures aimed at minimizing the risk of the development and spread of antimicrobial resistance and hospital-acquired infections
promote collaborative research to further understand the burden of sepsis as well as to identify local perspectives and priorities for adequate recognition and treatment
We encourage representatives from health authorities, professional societies of physicians and nurses from the fields of emergency medicine, intensive care medicine, infectious diseases, microbiology, public health, and from non - government organizations to become founding members of the Eastern Mediterranean Sepsis Alliance.
The EMSA remains committed to the demands of the Dubai Resolution and is working relentlessly to implement them.
* in January 2020, new research showed that sepsis is responsible for at least 11 million deaths annually.