It occurs when the body’s immune system responds excessively to an infection, causing organ dysfunction.

The body’s reaction causes damage to its tissues and organs, and it can lead to shock, multiple organ failure and sometimes death, especially if not recognised early and treated promptly.

It can affect anyone, but older people, very young, pregnant or those with other health problems are at higher risk.

Common signs of sepsis include fever, fast heart rate, rapid breathing, confusion and body pain.

It can lead to septic shock, multiple organ failure and death.

Sad to say, awareness of this life-threatening condition in Ghana is limited, and the true burden of the condition remains masked due to inadequate documentation of cases. 

According to the Principal Investigator of the Sub-Saharan Consortium for the Advancement of Innovative Research and Care in Sepsis (STAIRS), Dr (Med) John Adabie Appiah, although the condition has been with humanity for a while there was very little data on it, particularly in Africa and, for that matter, Ghana.      

WHO estimates that more than 50 million people are infected with sepsis every year, and more than 11 million people die from sepsis annually, the majority of whom are found in low and middle-income countries, including Ghana.

Therefore, Dr Appiah’s call on African countries to pay more attention to sepsis and find ways of combating it (See Daily Graphic, Tuesday, June 24, 2025, page 20) is timely because the condition poses a significant challenge to the healthcare system in the country.

It is heart-warming that STAIRS, a five-year project aimed at conducting high-quality research to address knowledge gaps in the epidemiology, diagnosis and quality care of patients hospitalised with sepsis in resource-constrained settings of the region, started two years ago.

The other African countries taking part in the research are Uganda, Ethiopia, the

Democratic Republic of Congo, Mozambique, Sierra Leone and Nigeria. It is being funded by the Research Networks for Health Innovations in Sub-Saharan Africa (RHISSA) and the Federal Ministry of Education and Research of Germany.

The Daily Graphic is hopeful the STAIRS project will help resolve the issue of the lack of reliable data on sepsis in Ghana and the other participating countries to inform policy and hospital managers to put resources into managing sepsis as well as developing effective treatment protocols.

The lack of awareness is another challenge - not many people know about sepsis; it is also not well understood, and its symptoms are often mistaken for other conditions.

Raising awareness of sepsis is vital for prevention and treatment.

Therefore, it is essential to educate people and share information about sepsis to enable timely medical intervention.

For example, preventing sepsis involves good hygiene practices, proper wound care and prompt medical attention.

Public awareness campaigns are necessary to inform Ghanaians about the symptoms of sepsis, its risks and prevention measures.

Additionally, healthcare workers must be provided with training on sepsis recognition, diagnosis and treatment.

The paper urges the government to support sepsis awareness and prevention initiatives.

It must also commit resources to manage sepsis because healthcare facilities in the country often lack the necessary resources to do that effectively and according to Dr Appiah, treating sepsis requires resources to manage the organ which is failing and there is need for machines that could help sustain the person’s life until drugs are administered.

The Daily Graphic believes that combating sepsis requires a concerted effort from the government, healthcare professionals, policymakers and the public.

It is important to strengthen healthcare infrastructure, enhance awareness and education, improve diagnosis and treatment and foster collaboration.