Ciarán Mullooly: Sepsis Awareness Saves Lives
Ciarán Mullooly warns that sepsis kills 700,000 people each year across the EU and that 3,000 deaths in Ireland are linked to the condition. He highlights the work of the North East Sepsis Awareness Campaign (NESA) and calls for targeted education and post-sepsis clinics.
Ciarán Mullooly opens with stark statistics: 700,000 annual EU deaths from sepsis and 3,000 in Ireland, equivalent to eight deaths per day in a small country. He stresses that sepsis is a medical emergency and that timely hospitalisation is crucial to survival.
Mullooly profiles Catriona Flanagan and Hannah Tormey, founders of the North East Sepsis Awareness Campaign (NESA). Catriona lost her mother to sepsis at 60; Hannah’s daughter survived but continues to live with post-sepsis syndrome. Their grassroots work includes community education, school visits, videos and signage on sepsis symptoms.
The MEP argues that Europe is investing in sepsis therapeutics but must now invest in awareness and prevention. He urges funding for post-sepsis clinics and targeted education campaigns in schools, clubs and local communities to ensure people recognise the signs early.
Mullooly frames prevention as central: sepsis is often preventable if recognised early. He calls for action now to save lives through awareness campaigns and support for survivors living with post-sepsis syndrome.
Urgent facts
Ciarán Mullooly opens with stark statistics: 700,000 annual EU deaths from sepsis and 3,000 in Ireland, equivalent to eight deaths per day in a small country. He stresses that sepsis is a medical emergency and that timely hospitalisation is crucial to survival.
NESA and personal testimonies
Mullooly profiles Catriona Flanagan and Hannah Tormey, founders of the North East Sepsis Awareness Campaign (NESA). Catriona lost her mother to sepsis at 60; Hannah’s daughter survived but continues to live with post-sepsis syndrome. Their grassroots work includes community education, school visits, videos and signage on sepsis symptoms.
Policy demand and funding focus
The MEP argues that Europe is investing in sepsis therapeutics but must now invest in awareness and prevention. He urges funding for post-sepsis clinics and targeted education campaigns in schools, clubs and local communities to ensure people recognise the signs early.
Why this matters
Mullooly frames prevention as central: sepsis is often preventable if recognised early. He calls for action now to save lives through awareness campaigns and support for survivors living with post-sepsis syndrome.
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Transcript
Thank you, President. 700,000 people die every year from sepsis in the EU, and in Ireland, 3,000 deaths are linked to this condition. That's eight deaths per day in a very small country. Sepsis is a medical emergency and requires immediate hospitalisation, yet some people are still blissfully unaware of it. They don't recognise it. I recently met with Catriona Flanagan and Hannah Tormey, who are at the forefront of setting up NESA, the North East Sepsis Awareness Campaign in Ireland. Catriona lost her mother of sepsis at only 60. Hannah's young daughter thankfully survived, but has post-sepsis syndrome, and NESA are calling for the introduction of post-sepsis clinics and an awareness campaign in communities, because no age group are immune to sepsis. So I say these women drive around the North East at a cost to themselves to educate communities and schools, creating videos and new signs with the symptoms of sepsis. Sepsis is preventable. The timing of getting help is crucial. So I say we must raise awareness of the signs and the symptoms by putting targeted education campaigns into schools, clubs and communities. We are spending money in Europe on sepsis therapeutics. We must now spend money on sepsis awareness campaigns, because at the end of the day, prevention is key to solving this major issue and saving lives. you