12th National Sepsis Symposium 2025

12th National Sepsis Symposium 2025
In-Person Attendance Online Attendance
  • 14 September 2025
  • 7:30 am to 4:00 pm
  • Sidra Medicine Auditorium, Tower D
Target Audience

Accredited by MOPH:
Earn up to 7 CPD hours

Overview

With the support of the World Health Organization (WHO), the Global Sepsis Alliance (GSA) continues its mission to combat the global health threat of sepsis through its annual Sepsis Symposium. Since 2013, this event has become a cornerstone of national collaboration and knowledge-sharing in Qatar, held in parallel with World Sepsis Awareness Day on 13th September. And in 2012, the Global Sepsis Day was started.

Since 2018, Sidra Medicine has annually held Sepsis Awareness Day as a member of the Global Sepsis Alliance. This year Sidra Medicine is honored to lead the 12th National Sepsis Symposium, taking place on Sunday 14th September 2025 with the theme on management of unmet needs in sepsis. The symposium will feature over 17 expert speakers, including clinicians, scientists, pharmacists, policy makers, data analysts, and representatives from all major healthcare institutions in Qatar.

The symposium unites national stakeholders to highlight prevention, early recognition, people-centered care pathways, and timely access to treatment—ultimately aiming to improve outcomes for patients and their families.

Objectives

  1. Identify unmet needs in sepsis management in Qatar
  2. Identify challenges and their possible solutions of early detection
  3. Discuss strategies to increase sepsis survival in neonate, pediatrics, women and adults in Qatar
  4. Summarize knowledge and awareness of Qatar’s national sepsis national plans
  5. Raise the level of awareness of Quality Improvement Projects at Sidra Medicine and in Qatar

Target Audience

  • Physicians
  • Nurses(midwives)
  • Pharmacists
  • Allied Health Professionals

Scientific Committee

  • Dr. Rasha Ashour
  • Dr. Mohammed Janahi
  • Rowena Zamora
  • Dalia Ahmed
  • Gayathri Vijesh
  • Ismail Azzam
  • Dr. Sandra Luebrata Holmes
  • Sumera Farhan

Speakers

  • Prof. Ibrahim Janahi – Sidra Medicine
  • Dr. Ahmed Al-Hammadi – Sidra Medicine
  • Dr. Dina Schnurman – Sidra Medicine
  • Dr. Patricia Abboud – Sidra Medicine
  • Dr. Rasmeh Al-Huneiti – MOPH
  • Dr. Abdulsalam Ibrahim – HMC
  • Dr. Sarah Salameh – HMC
  • Dr. Wael Saeed – PHCC
  • Dr. Khawla Ismail – Sidra Medicine
  • Mr. Vernon Naidoo – HMC
  • Dr. Andres Lopez – Sidra Medicine
  • Dr. Ricardo Blanco – Sidra Medicine

Panelists

  • Reslan Adnan Harfoush – Sidra Medicine
  • Bienvenido Paggao – Sidra Medicine
  • Hatem El Mohammad – Sidra Medicine
  • Dalia Ahmed – Sidra Medicine

Moderators

  • Gayathri Vijesh
  • Cheradee Barcenas

12th National Sepsis Symposium 2025 Program Overview

Time Session Title/Topic Learning Objectives
07:30 Registration and WHO video
08:30 Introduction and CPD requirements
Rowena Zamora, Gayathri Vijesh, Cheradee Barcenas
  1. Discuss the objectives of the symposium
  2. Demonstrate adherence to CPD requirements
08:49 Welcome and Opening Remarks
Introduction
Dr. Ahmed Alhammadi
Sidra Medicine Chair of Pediatric Medicine
Dr. Dina Schnurman
Sidra Medicine Chief Nursing Officer

2030 Global Agenda
Speaker: Prof. Ibrahim Janahi
Sidra Medicine Chief Medical Officer

  1. Identify the key goals and targets of the 2030 Global Agenda
  2. Discuss major challenges and obstacles that need to be addressed to meet the 2030 targets
09:01 The Advice of WHO in Peds Sepsis
Speaker: Dr. Ahmed Al-Hammadi
Sidra Medicine Chair of Pediatric Medicine
  1. Outline WHO’s guidelines for the management and treatment of pediatric sepsis including recommended protocols and interventions
  2. Discuss collaborative efforts among healthcare providers to ensure adherence to WHO guidelines and improve outcomes
09:11 Global Action Plans on Sepsis
Speaker: Dr. Patricia Abboud
Sidra Medicine Executive Director-Medical Services
  1. Discuss the global implications of sepsis, focusing on prevalence, mortality rates and impact on healthcare systems worldwide
  2. Discuss major challenges and barriers in the implementation of global action plans, including resources, infrastructure and lack of awareness
09:31 Qatar Action Plans on Sepsis
Speaker: Dr. Rasmeh Al-Huneiti
MOPH Lead for National Quality Guidelines Program
  1. Discuss Qatar’s national health strategies and action plans for sepsis management, including guidelines, protocols and initiatives aimed at reducing sepsis morbidity and mortality
  2. Identify major challenges and barriers in the implementation of Qatar’s action plans, including resource limitations, infrastructure and lack of awareness
09:51 Q & A
  1. Explore the relevance of the topics to the practice setting
  2. Reflect on the topics presented
BREAK 20 minutes (WHO video & GSA video)
Session II The Unmet Needs of early recognition and prompt treatment of Sepsis in Qatar
Moderator: Gayathri Vijesh
  1. Identify the unmet needs
  2. Bridging the gaps through national and institutional strategies
10:21 Closing the gaps in Sepsis Management
Speaker: Dr. Abdulsalam Ibrahim
HMC Sepsis Lead
  1. Identify the current gaps in sepsis management across Qatar’s healthcare system
  2. Analyze the root causes of these gaps and their impacts on patient outcomes
10:43 Antimicrobial Stewardship & antibiotics in Sepsis Management
Speaker: Dr. Sarah Salameh
Associate Public Health Physician CDC Qatar
  1. Define antimicrobial stewardship and explain its role in Sepsis Management sepsis management and optimizing antimicrobial use in sepsis
  2. Examine the consequences of improper antibiotic use leading to resistance and worse patient outcomes
11:05 A Patient attended HC, what to do?
Speaker: Dr. Wael Saeed
PHCC Qatar Pharmacy Manager – Operation Directorate
  1. Discuss specialized pediatric centers as providing comprehensive care with a family-centered approach
  2. Recognize pediatric health centers as a service that focuses on preventive, diagnostic and treatment tailored to the pediatric population
11:27  Meeting the unmet needs in pregnant patient with suspected sepsis; the role of Think “FAST”
Speaker: Dr. Khawla Ismail
Sidra Medicine Women’s
Obstetrics and Gynecology Consultant
Sepsis Lead
  1. Define “FAST” as an approach that will meet sepsis management in pregnant women
  2. Integrate the “FAST” approach in collaboration with other healthcare providers who directly and indirectly impact patient care outcomes
11:49  Q & A
  1. Discuss the relevance of the topics to their own professional practice
  2. Debate on the topics that may present challenges in the clinical setting
LUNCH 45 minutes (WHO video & GSA video)
Session III Where are with sepsis surveillance in Qatar
Moderator: Gayathri Vijesh, Cheradee Barcenas
  1. Recognize the importance of pre-hospital sepsis detection
  2. Identify the role of biomarkers and phenotypes in sepsis prognosis
12:45 The 3R’s of Pre-hospital EMS Sepsis Management
Speaker: Mr. Vernon Naidoo
Operations Officer Training Ambulance Service/EMS
  1. Highlight the importance of the 3R’s in the pre-hospital period of sepsis management
  2. Develop multidisciplinary collaboration between EMS, Emergency Department and the Critical Care team
1:07 From a Blank State to a blueprint; crafting effective sepsis guidance
Speaker: Dr. Andres Lopez
Sidra Medicine Division Chief – Microbiology
  1. Define biomarkers in the context of sepsis management
  2. Review current biomarkers used in sepsis management with a discussion on strengths, relevance and limitations
1:29 Biomarkers as endpoints for treatment efficacy in sepsis
Speaker: Dr. Ricardo Garcia Branco
Sidra Medicine Attending Physician – Pediatrics Critical Care
  1. Define clinical phenotypes and their relevance in diagnosis and treatment planning
  2. Describe how AI models improve sepsis outcome and data
1:51 Q & A
  1. Discuss emerging tools and technology that support phenotype identification
  2. Discuss how phenotype patterns can support the health care provider in anticipating disease progression and tailor interventions
BREAK 15 minutes (WHO video & GSA video)
2:21 Session IV

Panel discussion

Challenges & Solutions of early sepsis recognition
Moderators: Gayathri Vijesh, Cheradee Barcenas

  1. Nurse – Reslan Adnan Harfoush
    Challenges by frontline staff
  2. VOCERA – Bienvenido Pagga
    Sidra Data and team sepsis partnership & effect on sepsis management
  3. EWS Lead – Hatem El Mohammad
    Early Warning Scoring & Sepsis screen; Phoenix criteria revealed
  4. Pharmacist- Dalia Ahmed
    Source Control- what & how
1. Identify challenges met by frontline staff and strategies implemented to meet the challenges
2. Explore technological solutions to improve early sepsis detection and timely management
3. Relate EWS to sepsis screening
3:21 Sidra Medicine’s Initiatives on Sepsis
Moderators: Gayathri Vijesh, Cheradee Barcenas
  1. Recognize the significance of collaborative efforts in improving patient outcome and decreasing morbidity in sepsis
  2. Apply quality improvement principles and strategies in early recognition and management of sepsis
3:43 Closing Remarks, Poster Presentations, Awarding and recognition of winners
Dr. Ahmed Al-Hammadi
Sidra Medicine Chair of Pediatric Medicine
  1. Summarize the symposium’s significance in providing awareness, updates and future trends In sepsis management
  2. Recognize the achievement of individuals and groups in sepsis management

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