Biologists Harvey Alter, Michael Houghton and Charles Rice have jointly won the 2020 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for discovering the Hepatitis C virus.
Announcing this year’s winners at the Swiss Karolinska Institute, the Nobel Committee said the three made a significant contribution to the world’s fight to control and eradicate Hepatitis C, which is carried and spread through the blood.
“The 2020 Nobel Prize is awarded to three scientists who have made a decisive contribution to the fight against blood-borne hepatitis, a major global health problem that causes cirrhosis and liver cancer in people around the world,” the committee said in a statement.
The three scientists made important discoveries that led to the identification of the novel Hepatitis C virus.
Before their crucial discoveries, other researchers had identified Hepatitis A and B viruses in the 1940s
The Nobel Prize honors scientific research, writing and actions that the Nobel Foundation sees as important service to humanity.
For winners, this prize comes with a diploma, a medal and a cash award. Each year, the Nobel Foundation decides on the cash prize awarded to each laureate.
The cash prize is 8 million Swiss Francs (SEK), approximately $1.1 million or Sh119 million.
Sometimes the prize goes to a single individual or is split between two or among three recipients.
There are two common types of infectious hepatitis. Hepatitis A is transmitted by polluted water or food and does not adversely affect the patient while Hepatitis B is transmitted through blood and bodily fluids and can lead to a chronic condition
