Multiple Myeloma in Zimbabwe. Knowledge Levels, Age and Sex as Risky Factors. Insights from Zimbabwe Multiple Myeloma Consortium

Multiple myeloma is a serious cancer of the blood affecting millions of people across the world and is the second most prevalent hematological disease accounting for 10% of hematological disease cases while representing 1% of all serious diseases in the world. Multiple myeloma is also a major threat in Sub-Saharan Africa as revealed by the statistics provided by the Ríos-Tamayo, Rodríguez, Chang-Chan, & Pérez (2018) . On average, according to Globocan (2020), 3.2 per 100 000 have MM in Southern Africa, while there are 0.98 and 0.83 per 100 000 people with MM in Eastern Africa and Western Africa respectively. This indicates that Southern Africa is disproportionately affected by multiple myeloma. This is particularly the cases with Zimbabwe in which the number of people with MM is estimated to be 2.69 per 100 000 people along with a 5-year prevalence of 400 new cases every year (Globocan, 2020). It is from this background that, the Zimbabwe multiple myeloma consortium funded by the Bristol Myers Squib Foundation implemented the multiple myeloma project in Zimbabwe since April 2022. Objectives of the project include the need to improve patients’ quality of life, to improve multiple myeloma service delivery systems and effects of multiple myeloma, where patients efficiently and effectively get diagnostic and palliative care services as well as increasing multiple myeloma awareness and knowledge levels among the general population and health workers of Zimbabwe. This article provides statistics to give insights of multiple myeloma in Zimbabwe in terms of case findings conducted to date as well as number of MM patients identified. Mixed method was employed where data was collected and captured using Qualtrics system integrating both qualitative and quantitative. Thematic analysis was incorporated to analyse qualitative data using 5 different steps namely: familiarization, generating initial codes, search for themes, reviewing of themes and write up. Participants for this research were drawn from a caseload of 181 patients. These patients received their services from Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals, Gweru Provincial Hospital and Mpilo Hospital in Bulawayo. Findings of this research indicated that, there is deaths of multiple myeloma information among health care workers, professionals such as physicians and orthopaedics as well as general population. Late diagnosis has seen to be a cause for concern among mm patients. Males are the most vulnerable population to be affected by the disease and again ageing is a contributing factor. Recommendations made include but not limited to; targeted sensitisation reaching out to oncologists, physicians, orthopaedics health care workers, workplaces and tertiary institutions. This will translate to early diagnoses thereby improving quality of life. More funding is needed to support treatment of mm patients and as enablers to conduct home visits in relation to palliation activities by service providers. Social media engagement to be an ongoing endeavour packaged with mm risk factors, signs and symptoms related information.