WHEREAS, sepsis is the body’s life-threatening response to infection which can lead to tissue damage, organ failure, and death; and

WHEREAS, sepsis affects 1.7 million Americans and takes 350,000 adult lives every year in the United States – more than prostate cancer and breast cancer combined; and

WHEREAS, each year, more than 75,000 children in the United States develop severe sepsis and 6,800 of these children die; and

WHEREAS, sepsis is the second-leading cause of death during pregnancy and childbirth in the United States, and the United States has one of the highest maternal mortality rates in the industrialized world; and

WHEREAS, communities that have historically lacked access to high-quality healthcare, including some communities of color and individuals experiencing poverty, experience a disproportionate burden of sepsis-related suffering; and

WHEREAS, sepsis survivors have a shortened life expectancy, are more likely to suffer from an impaired quality of life, and often experience after-effects such as amputations (14,000 per year in the United States) and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder; and

WHEREAS, sepsis results in $62 billion of annual spending on healthcare in the United States; and

WHEREAS, despite the severe danger and widespread occurrence of sepsis, less than 15% of adults in the United States can identify the symptoms, and awareness of the signs and symptoms along with rapid diagnosis and treatment can save lives and improve outcomes for sepsis survivors; and

WHEREAS, the growing problem of antimicrobial resistance is steadily increasing the frequency of sepsis cases, and making effective sepsis treatment more difficult; and

WHEREAS, the signs of sepsis can be remembered with the mnemonic “TIME” – Temperature, Infection, Mental decline, and Extremely ill; and

NOW, THEREFORE, I, Glenn Youngkin, do hereby recognize September 2023, as SEPSIS AWARENESS MONTH in the COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA and call this observance to the attention of our citizens.