Governor Stein Proclaims Sepsis Awareness Month

Sepsis Awareness Month

2025

By The Governor Of The State Of North Carolina

A Proclamation

Whereas, September has been nationally recognized as Sepsis Awareness Month to bring awareness to sepsis, the body’s life-threatening response to infection, which can lead to tissue damage, organ failure, and death; and

Whereas, sepsis is a medical emergency that happens when an infection a patient already has triggers a chain reaction throughout the body, with most cases starting before a patient goes to the hospital; and

Whereas, each year, at least 1.7 million adults in the United States develop sepsis and at least 350,000 of those adults die during hospitalization or are discharged to hospice; and

Whereas, despite the dangers of sepsis, only 15 percent of U.S. adults can identify the symptoms using the mnemonic TIME: Temperature, Infection, Mental decline, and Extremely ill; and

Whereas, young children and the elderly experience the greatest number of sepsis-related deaths; sepsis kills more Americans than prostate cancer, breast cancer, and opioid overdoses combined; and sepsis is the most expensive cause of hospitalization in the United States; and

Whereas, despite the severe danger and widespread occurrence of this illness, a survey conducted by the Sepsis Alliance found that fewer than 12 percent of adults in the United States can identify the symptoms of sepsis; and

Whereas, it is important to prevent infections through actions such as performing frequent handwashing, cleaning open wounds and monitoring for signs of infection, getting vaccinated to prevent an array of infections, and conducting effective management of chronic conditions, such as diabetes and cancer; and

Whereas, awareness of the signs and symptoms of sepsis, along with rapid diagnosis and treatment of sepsis, can save lives and improve outcomes for sepsis survivors;

Now, Therefore, I, Josh Stein, Governor of the State of North Carolina, do hereby proclaim September 2025 as “Sepsis Awareness Month” in North Carolina and commend its observance to all citizens.

In Witness Whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and affixed the Great Seal of the State of North Carolina at the Capitol in Raleigh this twenty-firstROC day of August in the year of our Lord two thousand and twenty-fifth and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and forty-ninth.