Sepsis is a 'public health emergency,' warn Canadian researchers after mother dies shortly after giving birth

A team of researchers is highlighting what it calls significant gaps in sepsis policies and training standards throughout Canada, which they say show the need for a co-ordinated national action plan to address sepsis.

Sepsis is the body's extreme response to an infection and is a leading cause of death worldwide, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). In Ontario, sepsis deaths have recently made headlines , prompting discussions about hospital protocols.

In 2017, a resolution by the World Health Assembly (WHA) — the decision-making body of the WHO called on member states to create standards and guidelines for the prevention, early diagnosis and management of sepsis.

Years later, some countries like the United Kingdom and Australia have developed national action plans. B