Preparation for the Randomised Evaluation of a VItamin C bundle for Sepsis Treatment in Africa (REVISTA-Prep) Preparation for Randomised Evaluation of a VItamin C bundle for Sepsis Treatment in Africa (REVISTA-Prep)  Key points: 1) Sepsis is a life-threatening infection that can result in failure of vital organs; it is responsible for more than 7 million deaths annually, a large percentage of which occur in Africa.  2) Emerging research shows promising benefits in patients with sepsis treated with "metabolic resuscitation" using combinations of hydrocortisone (steroids), intravenous vitamin C (ascorbic acid) and intravenous vitamin B1 (thiamine).  3) Different studies are underway in the US, Europe, Asia, and South America to understand whether combinations of these medicines or the medicines individually can help improve the chances of someone with sepsis. Although none of these studies are being conducted in Africa, the different medicines that are included in this treatment are inexpensive, readily available and relatively safe to administer.  4) It is critical that similar studies are conducted in Africa to evaluate whether or not providing any of these medicine or a combination of them can help save people there from dying of sepsis. 5) If the studies prove that these medicines can improve survival from sepsis, there is a large potential to save many lives because each of the medicines are inexpensive, readily available and relatively safe to administer.   Through this Joint Global Health Trials Development Award, we intend to conduct preliminary research in Uganda (East Africa) to help us understand better what we might need to consider for conducting a future large trial that studies which of the combinations of vitamin C, vitamin B1, and steroids (or the medicines individually) will be best at improving survival from sepsis in African settings, where the resources are constrained, intensive care units are rare, and issues like poverty, malnutrition, and HIV are common.   Specifically, we will conduct a series of small studies to understand how common deficiencies of vitamin C and B1 are in sepsis patients who are HIV-infected compared to healthy individuals with and without HIV. We will also investigate or not there is a link between having low levels of these vitamins and death in sepsis patients. In addition, we will provide varying doses of vitamin C (alongside vitamin B1) to another small group of sepsis patients so we can gain a better understanding of the correct dose we should use in the future trial and whether there are any laboratory tests or clinical signs we can use to monitor the vitamin C levels specifically. Finally, because we will be conducting the future trial in a population of patients who are severely ill, we would like to interview clinicians, patients, and people living in the community about their understanding of what it means to be enrolled in a large clinical trial for which it is unclear whether the medicine being studied can help you and where you will not be able to decide which of the different medicines you will ultimately be randomised to receive.   We will use all the information we collect from this development award to apply for a full award in order to get funding for the larger trial. The Global Challenges Research Fund (GCRF) supports cutting-edge research to address challenges faced by developing countries. The fund addresses the UN sustainable development goals. It aims to maximise the impact of research and innovation to improve lives and opportunity in the developing world.