WFPICCS’ key advocacy activity relates to the World PICU Awareness Week and World PICU Day. These activities exist to raise awareness about #PedsICU in general and any important themes impacting the specialty by engaging members and key stakeholders in awareness and advocacy activities at a global and regional level.
The aim of this year’s campaign is to elevate caregiver wellbeing as a global priority in pediatric intensive care, recognizing its direct impact on patient safety, quality of care, and team performance. Across all regions and resource settings, PICU professionals face significant emotional, ethical, and psychological demands – from workload intensity and moral distress to workforce shortages and exposure to suffering and loss. Through this campaign, we seek to highlight that caregiver strain is a shared global challenge, not a local failure, and to promote system-level strategies that foster psychological safety, resilience, and professional fulfillment. By normalizing open dialogue and reinforcing institutional responsibility, we aim to support sustainable workforce models that protect and strengthen PICU teams worldwide.
The psychological and emotional health of PICU professionals directly influences clinical judgment, communication, teamwork, and patient outcomes in pediatric intensive care.
Workforce strain, staffing models, moral distress, and organizational culture play a central role in burnout. Addressing wellbeing requires institutional accountability, not just personal resilience.
Framing stress as an occupational reality rather than a personal weakness encourages earlier recognition, open conversations, and timely support.
Protecting the wellbeing of the PICU workforce is essential for retention, professional fulfillment, and the long-term resilience of pediatric critical care systems worldwide.
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The aim of this year’s campaign is to raise global awareness about the importance of PICUs and critical care wards in every corner of the world, emphasizing how healthcare professionals in these units, regardless of resource setting, are driving change. From high-resource institutions to rural clinics, PICU teams have been finding innovative solutions to provide the best care for children. We need to highlight how technology and innovation are not confined to wealthy nations but are thriving in diverse settings, showcasing the universal drive to make a difference in pediatric care.
Across the globe, healthcare professionals in resource-limited settings are finding creative solutions to provide life-saving care for children.
We aim to showcase the resourcefulness of Pediatric Critical Care professionals who, in challenging environments, create impactful solutions to improve pediatric care.
This campaign invites all professionals, no matter where they are, to share their stories and strategies to improve child health.
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Each region focuses on a different letter of the bundle. Thanks to our collaboration with OPENPediatrics, every day during World PICU Awareness Week a podcast will be released by a different region sharing their experience.
Share global experiences implementing the ICU Liberation Bundle to improve outcomes for critically ill children
Highlight how different regions adapt each element of the bundle to their local context, from sedation and delirium management to family involvement and nutrition
Connect the global PICU community through podcasts, webinars, and events to encourage exchange of practical insights and challenges in liberation care
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Each region chose a topic and activity relevant to them. Listen by region in alphabetical order.
Share knowledge on the early recognition, treatment, and prevention of sepsis to improve outcomes for critically ill children.
Showcase how cultural, social, and resource differences shape sepsis care in PICUs around the world.
Connect clinicians, researchers, and families through podcasts, webinars, and discussions to exchange experiences and strengthen global strategies against sepsis.
Each region will choose a topic relevant to their region and organise a 45min pre-recorded webinar which will be launched on their awareness and will include a live Q&A component at a time convenient to each region. The World PICU Day will be organised by WFPICCS.
Share perspectives of families and caregivers to better understand their needs, challenges, and strengths during a child’s critical illness.
Showcase how multidisciplinary teams across regions involve and support families in the PICU, from daily care to end-of-life decisions and beyond.
Connect families, clinicians, and researchers worldwide to exchange best practices and inspire improvements in family-centered care across all settings
Each region will choose a topic relevant to their region and organise a 1-hour pre-recorded webinar which will be launched on their awareness and will include a live Q&A component at a time convenient to each region. The World PICU Day will be organised by WFPICCS.
Highlight the unique challenges and advances in PICUs across different parts of the world.
Bring together professionals from multiple disciplines to exchange knowledge and strengthen global connections.
Engage the wider community to recognize the vital role of PICUs and inspire action to improve care for critically ill children.
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