A Turkish scientist has been honored for his work on sepsis, a condition that claims the lives of up to 8 million people worldwide every year. Dr. Necmettin Ünal, a professor at Ankara University in Turkey's capital, received an award from the Global Sepsis Association for his work that will help doctors fight sepsis. Speaking to Anadolu Agency (AA) Friday, Ünal said sepsis is caused by organ dysfunction and organ failure as a result of the body's uncontroled or inadequate response to any infection, resulting in a high mortality rate.

"We have been honored with the Global Sepsis Award by the Global Sepsis Association, an important international organization in this field," he added. Ünal said they are working to update approaches to sepsis in medical schools, particularly at Ankara University. "As a result of our recent work, doctors training in Turkey will be better educated in the field," he said.

Since 2014, Ünal has developed and conducted a sepsis education program for health care professionals with the participation of over 47,000 health care professional from 79 cities in Turkey.

He said they completed a study with Ankara University medical students and with the participation of 30 medical schools.

A study of 7,000 students found that 83.5 percent of first year students had little knowledge of sepsis, much like the general public, he said, adding that the students' definition of sepsis was outdated.

The definition of sepsis has changed three times internationally since 2016. The research found the information about sepsis should be updated and the educational contents revised accordingly.