Events

Academician Limas Kupčinskas Internationally Recognised for His Work in the Fight Against Hepatitis C

27 07 2026

In honour of World Hepatitis Day (28 July), the Coalition for Global Hepatitis Elimination recognised four outstanding individuals in acknowledgment of their contributions to health equity in the fight for global hepatitis elimination. Academician Limas Kupčinskas, chair of the Division of Biological, Medical, and Geosciences of the Lithuanian Academy of Sciences, is one of the Elimination Champions.

'This international recognition is a tribute to the work of everyone who has contributed to the hepatitis C elimination programme in Lithuania. We can already see today that universal screening enables the early diagnosis of the disease, whilst modern treatment helps people to make a full recovery. The results achieved in Lithuania show that a population-wide screening programme is effective in a country where the prevalence of the hepatitis C virus is moderate,’ says Academician Limas Kupčinskas.

The academician’s leadership in the elimination of hepatitis C encompasses the fields of clinical practice, research, public awareness, public advocacy and policy engagement. As the chair of the Lithuanian Working Group on Hepatitis C Screening and Elimination, Prof. Kupčinskas led the development of the country’s national hepatitis C screening and elimination programme. Since its launch in 2022, more than 1.5 million people have been screened, over 9,500 previously undiagnosed cases of hepatitis C have been identified and cured, and access to treatment has been significantly expanded. The academician’s leadership has helped Lithuania become a model for successful, population-wide screening.

According to Academician Limas Kupčinskas, Lithuania will undoubtedly be one of the first countries in Central and Eastern Europe to achieve the target of eliminating hepatitis C set by the World Health Organisation.

On the initiative of Prof. Limas Kupčinskas, a forum dedicated to the hepatitis C elimination programme in Lithuania was held at the Lithuanian Academy of Sciences in 2022, a meeting of European leaders on hepatitis C virus elimination in 2024, and a meeting of ambassadors for the elimination of hepatitis C in Lithuania in 2025, among other important events on this topic.

Information of the Coalition for Global Hepatitis Elimination
and the Lithuanian University of Health Sciences