Šarunas Narbutas is a professional lawyer and consultant, who was diagnosed with chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) at the age of 18.
After hearing the diagnosis he has started a national petition campaigning for successful treatment for CML patients, which was signed by 6% of the total Lithuanian population (180,000 signatures) and has led to doubled reimbursement for modern treatment.
In 2010-2013 he served as a Board member of “European Cancer Patient Coalition” (ECPC).
In the past 5 years, he has participated as a patient advocate speaker / moderator in over 50 high-level conferences throughout Europe and on an international scale and has led a debate on cancer-related issues at the national level and in front of European authorities. In February of 2013 he was elected President of “Lithuanian Cancer Patient Coalition” (POLA).
Before joining the President’s team Šarunas Narbutas has also served as a member of an advisory board to the Minister of Health of the Republic of Lithuania, as a member of a Lithuanian reimbursement committee and also as a deputy chair of the commission awarding damages to patients caused by a medical mal-practice, while also representing interest of cancer patients in several governmental working groups.
He is also a PhD candidate in Vilnius University Faculty of Law and reads lectures on Health Law, European Union Law and Public International Law.