2024 has been an incredible year of progress for Sepsis Canada!

Over the past year, we celebrated significant milestones, including completing two research projects and the beginning of data collection from the Canadian Institute of Health Information, marking a critical step in understanding the full burden of sepsis in adults. We proudly published ten Sepsis Canada research papers, more than any previous year. We also celebrated our first-ever Sepsis Canada and LifTING Training Program graduates, whose goodbye tears confirmed our program's true value and impact!

Sepsis Canada & LifTING Research Training Program Graduates 2024

Our outreach efforts raised the bar with a significant increase in media coverage, including releasing four of an excellent five-part series with Open Access Government. Thanks to our Communications Coordinator, Ellis, and our dedicated volunteers, September saw a record-breaking number of illuminations for World Sepsis Day and proclamations from seven provincial and territorial governments.

BC Place Stadium (Vancouver, BC) Lit Pink for World Sepsis Day

We took a crucial step toward political advocacy with two visits to Ottawa. Christine Caron and I met Senator Ravalia, a family physician and independent senator from Newfoundland. My second meeting was at the Public Health Agency of Canada to meet some of the leadership team leading the antimicrobial resistance (AMR) national action plan. All this culminated in new partnerships with the Critical Care Canada Forum and bioMérieux through partnering with their events, CCCF 2024 and the AMR Symposium, respectively. We were also fortunate to be involved in the International Sepsis Forum at the same meeting.

CCCF 2024

As we transition into 2025, we look forward to developing and implementing a new sustainability plan, bringing sepsis to the forefront of the G7 summit being hosted by Canada, and continuing to gather the essential data needed for the policy team to move toward the partnerships needed for a Sepsis National Action Plan – Canada (SNAP-C).

I am grateful for all your efforts to reduce the burden of sepsis in Canada. Wishing you and your loved ones a happy holidays! We'll see you in the new year!

Dr. Alison Fox-Robichaud,
Scientific Director, Sepsis Canada