Sepsis causes roughly 15% of all newborn deaths
Used as: “15% of all newborn deaths are caused by sepsis — a leading cause, with about 3 million newborn cases a year.” Neonatal sepsis is consistently reported as the third leading cause of neonatal death worldwide.
- Frontiers in Pediatrics (2023). Risk factors for neonatal sepsis — “neonatal sepsis was the third cause, accounting for 15% of deaths globally.” frontiersin.org
- Neonatal Sepsis review, PMC (2024). “Sepsis still accounts for an estimated 15% of deaths in young infants.” ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
- World Health Organization. Sepsis fact sheet. who.int
About 2.9 million children under five die of sepsis each year
Used as: “2.9M children under five die of sepsis each year, most in low-resource settings.” Almost half of the world’s ~49 million annual sepsis cases occur in children.
- World Health Organization (2020). First global report on sepsis / news release: “Almost half of the 49 million cases of sepsis each year occur among children, resulting in 2.9 million deaths, most of which could be prevented through early diagnosis and appropriate clinical management.” who.int
- Current Pediatrics Reports (2023). “In 2017, there were an estimated 2.9 million deaths related to sepsis worldwide among children younger than 5 years.” springer.com
Most child sepsis deaths could be prevented with earlier care
Used as: “Most child sepsis deaths could be prevented through early diagnosis and timely care.” This is the World Health Organization’s own framing, which is why we use it in place of a single percentage.
- World Health Organization (2020). “…2.9 million deaths, most of which could be prevented through early diagnosis and appropriate clinical management.” who.int
- Note on “up to 80%.” Advocacy organizations (e.g., the Global Sepsis Alliance) have cited that a large share of sepsis deaths are preventable. Because preventability varies by age, geography, sepsis type, and care access, we intentionally use the WHO’s qualitative framing rather than a fixed percentage.
Sepsis is linked to nearly 1 in 5 deaths worldwide
Used as: “1 in 5 deaths worldwide is linked to sepsis — ~11 million a year, ~85% of it in low-resource settings.” The 2017 Global Burden of Disease analysis estimated 48.9 million cases and 11.0 million sepsis-related deaths — 19.7% of all global deaths.
- Rudd KE, et al. The Lancet (2020). “Global, regional, and national sepsis incidence and mortality, 1990–2017: analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study.” Lancet 395(10219):200–211. thelancet.com
- World Health Organization. Sepsis fact sheet — “11 million sepsis-related deaths worldwide, representing 20% of all global deaths … roughly 85% of sepsis cases and related deaths occur in low-resource settings.” who.int
- Update. A newer analysis (GBD 2021; Lancet Global Health, 2025) revises estimates using updated methods. We cite the widely used 2020 figures and will refresh as consensus estimates evolve.
Maternal sepsis accounts for about 10.7% of maternal deaths
Used on the website as a leading, largely preventable cause of maternal mortality worldwide.
- Say L, et al. The Lancet Global Health (2014). “Global causes of maternal death: a WHO systematic analysis.” Lancet Glob Health 2(6):e323–e333. thelancet.com
- The Global Impact of Sepsis review, PMC (2024). “Maternal sepsis still accounts for around 10.7% of global maternal deaths.” ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
The burden falls hardest on low- and middle-income countries
Used as: rates of newborn sepsis several times higher in parts of sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia, where 30–50% of the neonatal sepsis burden is concentrated.
- WHO report, via CIDRAP (2020). “Roughly 85% of sepsis cases and related deaths occurred in low-resource settings.” cidrap.umn.edu
- Rudd KE, et al. The Lancet (2020). Highest sepsis burden in sub-Saharan Africa, Oceania, and South Asia. thelancet.com
- Neonatal sepsis literature, PMC (2024). 30–50% of neonatal sepsis cases occur in low- and middle-income countries. ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
Methodology & notes
Sepsis is difficult to measure. Definitions, diagnostic criteria, and hospital coding vary between countries, and most published studies come from hospitals in high-income settings — so the true global burden, especially in the communities we serve, is likely underestimated rather than overstated.
We deliberately present these figures as estimates and, where preventability is concerned, use the World Health Organization’s qualitative language rather than a single headline percentage. Our aim is to be accurate and defensible, not maximally dramatic. If a figure here is superseded by newer consensus estimates, we will update this page and note the change.
Questions or corrections: createchange@worldaidthroughconnectedhealth.org.