Events

European Hepatitis C Elimination Summit

04 11 2024

A major international event - the European Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) Elimination Leaders' Meeting - took place at the Lithuanian Academy of Sciences on 19 September, with the participation of the representatives of the World Health Organisation (WHO), the Global Coalition for the Elimination of Hepatitis C (GCEH), the Global Hepatitis Alliance, healthcare professionals, patient organisation representatives and policy makers from the Baltic countries, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Germany, Slovakia, Spain, the UK, the USA, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Poland, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Various hepatitis-related issues were discussed, including the current situation in Europe and the world, screening programmes, treatment approaches over the last decade, experiences in different countries, and patient education.

Prof. John Ward (USA), the leader of the Global Coalition to Eliminate Hepatitis C.

The conference participants were greeted by Prof. Zenonas Dabkevičius, the vice-president of the Lithuanian Academy of Sciences, Edgaras Narkevičius, the vice-minister of health of the Republic of Lithuania, and Justina Jakštienė, the vice-minister of Social Security and Labour of the Republic of Lithuania. The event was moderated by Prof. Limas Kupčinskas, the chair of the Division of Biological, Medical, and Geosciences of the Lithuanian Academy of Sciences.

Prof. Limas Kupčinskas, chair of the Division of Biological, Medical, and Geosciences of the Lithuanian Academy of Sciences.

The keynote address was given by Prof. John Ward (USA), the leader of the Global Coalition to Eliminate Hepatitis C. Professor Ward overviewed the progress of different countries towards the WHO goal of eliminating hepatitis C infection by 2030. He noted the success of the Lithuanian hepatitis C elimination programme, stressed that the valuable experience of Lithuania could be successfully applied in other countries, and announced that Prof. Kupčinskas was nominated for the 2024 Global Hepatitis C Elimination Coalition Award for his efforts to eliminate hepatitis C in Lithuania. The success of Lithuania's hepatitis C elimination programme was also featured in the 9 September issue of the Politico (Brussels), an influential European political newspaper  (https://www.politico.eu/sponsored-content/europe-has-the-tools-to-end-hepatitis-c-its-time-to-use-them-en/).

‘We have all the tools we need to eradicate hepatitis C in Europe by 2030, but to accelerate this change, we need concrete action to encourage people with hepatitis C to seek medical attention, and for governments to ensure that eradication plans are funded and implemented and that research and treatment are integrated into local health services so that people at risk can get them where they live. We have a unique opportunity to eliminate a disease that affects millions of people in Europe, and we cannot delay,’ said Rachel Halford (UK), President of the World Hepatitis Alliance, who herself had suffered from the disease for twenty years.


Rachel Halford (UK), President of the World Hepatitis Alliance.

In his presentation, Prof. Limas Kupčinskas stated that ‘we can be proud that the success of the hepatitis C screening programme developed and implemented in Lithuania has attracted the interest of experts fighting the disease worldwide. Since the Hepatitis C screening programme was launched in 2022, Lithuania has already screened around 1,200,000 people, detected around 19,000 potentially infected people, diagnosed more than half of them with the disease, treated 5,700 patients, and successfully cured those who were treated. The professor thanked the members of the Lithuanian Hepatitis C Elimination Task Force – Prof. Janina Petkevičienė (Lithuanian University of Health Sciences), Assoc. Prof. Gediminas Urbonas (Lithuanian University of Health Sciences), Prof. Edita Kazėnaite (Vilnius University) and others – for their work.

Participants at the European Hepatitis C Elimination Summit.

In their presentations, the speakers at the event – Prof. Christoph Sarrazin (Germany), Dr Speranta Iacob (Romania), Dr Cristiana Merendeiro (Portugal), Dr Silvana Lesidrenska (Bulgaria), Dr Marek Rác (Slovakia), Prof. José Luis Calleja (Spain), Prof. Ram M. Subramanian (USA), Prof. Riina Salupere (Estonia), Assoc. Prof. Gediminas Urbonas, Prof. Raimonda Matulionytė, Prof. Juozas Kupčinskas, and Dr Arida Buivydienė (Lithuania) – discussed various aspects of hepatitis C infection.  

A group photo of the event participants.

Participants at the international event issued a ‘Call to Action’ resolution outlining the actions and ways to achieve the WHO's goal of eliminating hepatitis C infection worldwide by 2030.

Prepared by Prof. Jūratė Kondrackienė
Photography Virginija Valuckienė

PHOTO GALLERY