Since 2022, parents of children with achondroplasia had been continuously demanding the import of the drug Voxzogo, but permanent protests began in 2023, when the Ministry of Health, despite its earlier promises, refused to import the medication on the grounds that “studies on its effectiveness have not yet been completed.”

Starting in March 2023, parents began holding ongoing protests outside the Ministry of Health to demand access to the drug. On April 20, they met with the Minister of Health and his deputy, who stated that “if EU countries fund the achondroplasia medication, Georgia will do the same.”

As parents received no concrete answer beyond this promise, they moved their protests to the Government Administration. They demanded a meeting with the Prime Minister and refused to disperse, spending nights at the entrance of the building in rain and wind. Ordinary citizens showed support, bringing hot drinks and food to help them endure the unusually cold spring nights. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili tried to convince the public that the drug was not of vital importance for the children.

Ten days after the start of the intense protest, on May 1, the Minister of Health said, “We are making daily efforts to resolve the problems surrounding this rare disease.”

By May 5, it was announced that the Ministry of Health would approve a protocol for managing patients. On that day, parents ended their 24-hour protest in front of the Government Administration. On May 23, achondroplasia was added to the list of rare diseases, and on November 14, it became known that the medication had arrived in Georgia. In the following days, the children received their first injections.