France’s Action Plan

The exact impact of sepsis is difficult to assess in France due to a dearth of studies on the subject but it is estimated that about 57 000 deaths are related to sepsis yearly in France.

In order to implement a working strategy aimed at combating sepsis in France, a report on the state of prevention, diagnosis and management of sepsis compiled by Pr Djillali Annane in collaboration with relevant academic societies was delivered to the General Director of Health, Pr Jérôme Salomon, in 2018.

Based on the recommendations issued during the WHO World Health Assembly on 29 May 2017, the report suggests 10 measures to implement:

1. Defining an integrated care pathway for sepsis, through the creation of a care protocol including 4 distinct sections: epidemiology, prevention, early diagnosis and care.
2. Raising awareness of sepsis among the general public using multiple mediums of communication: Internet, social networks, media, events…
3. Raising awareness of sepsis among all healthcare providers, including general practitioners and specialists, pharmacists, paramedics…
4. Providing mandatory core classes on sepsis to all medical students.
5. Providing training on sepsis to all healthcare providers through continuing education.
6. Adequately fund sepsis research by declaring sepsis a priority in national funding programs.
7. Creating the necessary conditions to the dynamism of translational and clinical research on sepsis by reconsidering the public and private research strategies on sepsis.
8. Promoting public health and social sciences research on sepsis and implementing an epidemiologic study at the national level to identify the characteristics of sepsis (incidence, risk factors, mortality…).
9. Defining sepsis as a major category of diagnosis within the international classification of disease classification.
10. Implementing a national epidemiological sepsis follow-up (including post sepsis) in order to guide national actions to fight sepsis.