Georgia’s Health Ministry has expanded state-funded medical services for children with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy and other rare neuromuscular diseases, following months of protests by parents demanding government funding for expensive medications.
The initiative was first announced by Health Minister Mikheil Sarjveladze on April 21, when he publicly responded for the first time to a six-month protest campaign led by families of children with Duchenne syndrome. At the time, Sarjveladze said the government would not finance the requested drugs, citing concerns over their effectiveness and safety, but promised to expand access to outpatient, inpatient and diagnostic services for patients with rare diseases.
The Ministry says the updated state program will provide patients with consultations from neurologists, cardiologists, pulmonologists, endocrinologists, orthopedists and nutrition specialists, as well as a broad range of laboratory and instrumental examinations. These include electrocardiograms, echocardiography, 24-hour Holter monitoring, spirometry, X-rays, blood and urine analyses, liver and kidney function tests and other diagnostic procedures.
The expanded services will also be available to patients with Spinal Muscular Atrophy and Becker Muscular Dystrophy.
On May 7, Sarjveladze visited the Iashvili Central Children’s Hospital, where hospital representatives presented the clinic’s infrastructure and technical capabilities for treating patients with neuromuscular diseases. Ministry says the hospital expressed readiness to provide the newly expanded services.
The health minister said monitoring disease progression was one of the key components in the treatment of Duchenne, Becker muscular dystrophy and spinal muscular atrophy, adding that the updated program would allow beneficiaries to access a wider range of medical support and improve long-term management of their conditions.
Duchenne muscular dystrophy is a rare genetic disease that causes progressive muscle degeneration. Patients gradually lose the ability to walk and later experience severe complications affecting the heart, lungs and other organs. The average life expectancy for patients is estimated at 25 to 30 years.
Parents of children with Duchenne syndrome have spent nearly two years demanding state funding for internationally approved medications. Since late 2025, families have held regular demonstrations outside the Health Ministry and later near the government administration building, calling for a meeting with Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze and greater state support for treatment access.
Image: Ministry of Health
