Sepsis Cases Rising in Aotearoa New Zealand
A dramatic rise in sepsis cases across Aotearoa New Zealand is exposing a growing and deeply inequitable public health crisis, with The New Zealand Sepsis Trust calling for urgent Government action to prevent further avoidable deaths.
New research from the University of Otago reveals hospital admissions for sepsis surged by 78 percent between 2000 and 2019, rising from 217 to 386 admissions per 100,000 people. The findings, published in The Lancet Regional Health - Western Pacific, paint a stark picture of a condition that is both widespread and worsening.
Over the two-decade period, there were approximately 260,000 hospitalisations and 27,400 deaths from sepsis, accounting for nearly five percent of all deaths in Aotearoa. That is almost four times the number of deaths from motor vehicle accidents.
Announcing the 6th World Sepsis Congress – April 22–23, 2026!
The Global Sepsis Alliance proudly presents the 6th World Sepsis Congress, a free, virtual event bringing together over 85 leading experts from around the world to advance Universal Sepsis Care for Newborns, Children, and Women.
Our patron, Helen Clark, is appearing as a panellist and our CEO Ally Hossain as a moderator.
Why Attend?
Sepsis remains one of the world’s leading causes of death and disability, particularly affecting mothers, newborns, and children. Yet timely prevention, recognition, and treatment can save millions of lives. This year’s congress will highlight:
Prevention and early recognition of infections in vulnerable populations
Advances in maternal and neonatal sepsis care
Innovations in pediatric critical care
Strengthening infection prevention and control
Expanding access to essential diagnostics, medicines, and supportive care
Health system strategies to deliver timely and equitable sepsis care
Be part of the conversation. In addition to expert presentations, the program features two panel discussions highlighting patient and family perspectives and showcasing lessons from emergency, critical, and operative (ECO) care pathways in mother-child settings.
Help us spread the word by sharing this with your networks. Together, we can improve sepsis outcomes for mothers, newborns, and children worldwide.
When? April 22–23, 2026
Where? Online – attend from anywhere
Cost? FREE
Sepsis Trust NZ Expands Support Services
For moderated, peer-to-peer support, you can now join one of our two dedicated Facebook Support Groups. We offer one focused on recovery and support for survivors and families, and another for those who have been bereaved as a result of sepsis.
For those who survive, and for the families of those who don’t, the impact doesn’t end when the hospital stay is over. People are left navigating grief, trauma, long-term health complications, and, all too often, unanswered questions. That’s where support services matter.
We hear firsthand the realities behind the statistics and we know it's critical for our community to have somewhere to turn. We sit with families trying to make sense of what happened, and we connect survivors with others who understand.
Support services also strengthen everything else we do. They inform our advocacy, shape our education, and ground our campaigns in real lived experience. They remind decision-makers that behind every number is a person, a family, a story that matters.
Both groups are curated and moderated by Carol Goldie-Anderson, who is a support and education specialist in the field of change, loss and grief. She is also a sepsis survivor.
Most importantly, support is about dignity and compassion. We may not be able to change the outcome, but we can change how people are supported through it.
Sepsis Trust NZ Out & About
The team has had a busy couple of months presenting and attending a number of medical conferences, spreading our sepsis awareness message and educating delegates on the new sepsis pathways.
These include the College of Emergency Nurses annual conference in Auckland; the Goodfellow Symposium (aimed at a GP and urgent care audience); and the Australasian College of Emergency Medicine annual conference.
We also featured a webinar on maternal sepsis, generously hosted by Mobile Health, and we have given a number of presentations in person to GP and urgent care practices around the country.
Our work in health education remains a critical and core area of work, and we are seeing great strides in this area with invitations for us to speak at further medical events coming in for later in the year.
If you’d like us to speak at your practice, or feature at an upcoming webinar or event, please click here to send us an email.
