Sub-Saharan Africa bears the world’s greatest sepsis burden, with over 40% of global cases. In many African hospitals, up to 65% of deaths are linked to sepsis.

Yet, most sepsis research and treatment guidelines are based on patients in high-income countries in the US and Europe. These approaches often don’t work in African settings—and sometimes cause harm.

At CHART-A, we’re creating a better way: a sepsis care model that is precise, practical, and made for the realities of Africa.

Over the past decade, we’ve built one of Africa’s leading platforms for sepsis research and care. In Uganda, we work closely with hospitals, scientists, and communities to improve treatment, strengthen health systems, and lead breakthrough science.

Our Impact So Far

• Discovered new sepsis subtypes in Africa—biological patterns that differ from those found in the U.S. or Europe. These findings are helping us develop targeted treatments that work in local contexts.

• Created a simple tool to predict who’s at highest risk of dying from sepsis, using routine vitals and a few low-cost biomarkers.

• Revealed how HIV and malaria shape the biology of sepsis in African patients—providing insights necessary to deliver pathogen-specific treatments.

• Established a framework for equitable precision sepsis care, tailored to the needs of under-studied populations in Africa.

• Responded to sepsis caused by COVID-19 by caring for Uganda’s first severely ill patients and leading the region’s first studies on the disease.

Today, we’re pushing forward a new era of precision medicine for sepsis in Africa. Our work combines cutting-edge science with real-world solutions.

What We’re Doing Now

• Using immune profiling and machine learning to identify different types of sepsis and guide personalized care—using just a few biomarkers and bedside data

• Developing better diagnostics for deadly infections like TB, malaria, and HIV

• Building smart triage tools to help clinicians act earlier and save more lives

• Training and mentoring local doctors and researchers to lead the next generation of sepsis care

Our work is deeply rooted in partnerships with Ugandan hospitals, research institutes, and communities—ensuring every project is impactful, scalable, and built to last.

Sepsis is treatable—but only if we act in time, with the right tools and local expertise. Your support helps CHART-A bring lifesaving science and care to the places that need it most.