How do we deal with sepsis in the twenty-first century?

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to outline the problem of sepsis and a global initiative to reduce the burden of this disease.Design methodology approach - This is a summary description of the strategy being applied by the Global Sepsis Alliance (GSA) and its partners to deal with sepsis.Findings - The paper outlines the problem of sepsis, primary goals of the GSA, early indicators of the outcome from initiatives and proposes strategies for the future. The key initiative was WSD (World Sepsis Day), which succeeded in creating public and stakeholder awareness via the use of focused and informal meetings, use of the media and the internet.Practical implications - Tackling the problem of sepsis requires a two pronged approach that creates public and stakeholder awareness that prompts action as well as focused research efforts that address the key clinical challenges in sepsis.Social implications - The importance of community education and support for initiatives that change attitudes and behavior are highlighted.Originality value - The proposed initiatives for sepsis that have been implemented as outlined in this paper are novel for the field and have proven to be successful. On-going supports for such initiatives are warranted.