Parents of children with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy to hold protest in Tbilisi

Parents of children diagnosed with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) will hold a protest on Friday at 15:00 local time outside Georgia’s Government office calling on the government to fund treatment and essential medical examinations.

According to the organisers, Duchenne muscular dystrophy is a severe genetic disorder that causes progressive muscle weakness from early childhood and often leads to life-threatening complications. They say that while modern treatments for the disease are already available internationally, their cost makes them inaccessible to families in Georgia.

The parents noted that the effectiveness and safety of several DMD treatments have been approved by both European and US regulatory authorities. However, they argue that the Georgian state has so far failed to take effective measures to procure these medicines or to establish a multidisciplinary medical team capable of providing comprehensive care.

In addition to medication, families stressed the need for regular, specialised medical assessments, which they say are currently not adequately supported by the public healthcare system.

“There is no higher priority for the state than the lives of children,” the parents said in a statement. “We will continue to fight to protect our children and demand that the government ensures access to necessary treatment and medication.”

The organisers emphasised that the protest will be peaceful and lawful and have called on members of the public to join them in urging the authorities to take action.