Organization Takes a Stand Against Sepsis and for Those Affected

The association grew out of the patient and family group of the Swiss Sepsis Program (SSP). In a video for World Sepsis Day 2026, association members urge people to consider sepsis in critical situations following an infection, thereby protecting and saving lives. Sepsis is an underestimated health threat, even in Switzerland.

People affected by sepsis and their families have founded the organization “Sepsis Schweiz” in Bern. It grew out of the patient and family group that assists and advises the SSP. The association’s goal is to raise awareness among as many people as possible about the dangers of the disease and to show them how to recognize sepsis early on. The association is also committed to improving treatment and support for sepsis survivors. As a first step, it aims to offer those affected and their families accessible opportunities for discussion, as well as mutual advice and support.

Sepsis is the body’s overreaction to an infection. It is an underestimated health risk, even in Switzerland. Every year in Swiss hospitals, 20,000 cases of sepsis were recorded. 4,000 people affected die from it. This means that the number of sepsis cases in hospitals alone is on a similar scale to that of heart attacks or strokes; the number of deaths is comparable to that of breast, colorectal, and prostate cancers combined.

To mark the founding of the organization, members appear in a video posted on social media. In it, they share their personal stories to urge everyone to take the danger of sepsis seriously and to act quickly when in doubt ( Watch the video). “Sepsis is always a medical emergency,” says Anton Löffel, the association’s president and a sepsis survivor. “If sepsis is suspected, it’s important to seek medical help quickly. No one should be ashamed to do so, and hesitation has no place here.” If someone feels sicker and weaker than ever before after an infection, professional help must be sought immediately. “Thinking of sepsis means saving lives,” he emphasizes. Anyone who feels uncertain about their symptoms following an infection can now use the Swiss Sepsis Program (SSP) sepsis check online ( Informational Materials).

The association’s vice president, Lilian Robert, knows from personal experience that life after sepsis can be difficult. “Along with the relief of having survived come a great many difficulties and hurdles,” she says. Sepsis can lead to physical and psychological impairments, cause permanent organ damage, and necessitate amputations. “These consequences are rarely the focus of conventional therapies; many survivors have to go to great lengths to find support on their own,” she says.

Another member of the association’s board is Roger van Klaveren. Both of his lower legs had to be amputated after he contracted sepsis. Using his two prosthetic legs, he undertook a journey of over 1,700 kilometers from Basel to Gran Canaria. He covered the rest of the route by train, bus, and ferry. On World Sepsis Day, he will appear in a live public broadcast on Instagram once he has reached his destination on the Atlantic island ( Swiss Sepsis Program Instagram channel, September 13, 5:30 p.m.).

“We welcome the fact that patients and their families are so strongly committed to ensuring that sepsis is more widely known, detected earlier, and treated more effectively,” says Luregn Schlapbach, an intensive care physician and one of the program’s directors. “The experiences of those affected provide important insights into where sepsis care can be further improved.” Schlapbach and his team at the University Children’s Hospital Zurich regularly treat children with severe organ failure resulting from sepsis. Sepsis can affect anyone. In addition to newborns and children, older adults over the age of 65 and those with weakened immune systems are also at particularly high risk for sepsis.

The SSP is organizing various activities in connection with World Sepsis Day and supporting numerous events (World Sepsis Day on September 13). The Swiss Sepsis Declaration, which calls for a joint effort to combat sepsis, has now been signed by more than 200 people (Swiss Sepsis Declaration).