Multiple Myeloma Program Builds Systems of Care
Multiple Myeloma (MM) is a complex and chronic cancer of the blood that often goes undiagnosed in many parts of Kenya due to limited awareness, delayed diagnoses, and lack of access to specialized care. AMPATH Kenya established its Multiple Myeloma Program in 2012 to address these critical gaps in diagnosis and treatment. Today, the program continues to evolve, driven by collaboration and partnerships. These partnerships are what have helped survivors like Sylvester who has lived with multiple myeloma for nine years.
From his home in Kesses, Uasin Gishu County, Sylvester shared his journey with multiple myeloma which began with a strange symptom--persistent nosebleeds. He sought care in different health facilities multiple times, but no one could diagnose his illness.
“I went to three different hospitals, many times,” he recalls. “At some point, one of the doctors I had visited several times told me not to come back. He said they couldn’t figure out what I was suffering from, and it was a waste of resources going back there.”
Eventually, he was referred to the Chandaria Cancer and Chronic Disease Centre at Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital (MTRH), where a consultant ordered further tests. The test revealed what had eluded others, Sylvester had multiple myeloma.
“When I got the diagnosis, it was actually a relief, I was anxious about the illness but relieved about the diagnosis” he says. “I had been spending so much money on treatments that weren’t helping me, and now there was hope of getting the correct treatment”
Starting chemotherapy was a turning point. Seven months into treatment, Sylvester began to feel stronger and the nosebleeds stopped. His M-protein levels, a key indicator of MM, began to drop, showing signs that the treatment was working. But it wasn’t without challenges.
He describes side effects like diarrhea, weight loss, darkening of his palms and soles, and an increase in appetite that put extra strain on his household finances. “Sometimes, the hospital pharmacy runs out of drugs and I have to buy them myself. It was a hard time because there was the transport to hospital, the medication and more food than I was consuming before,” he explains.
Despite these hardships, Sylvester has remained committed to his treatment and has since experienced two remissions.
"Multiple myeloma is like a garden of weeds," explains Dr. Attaya Suvannasankha, AMPATH hematology partner from Indiana University. "Treatment cuts the growth, but roots remain. Remission demands constant care."
"Yet medicine alone is not enough," she adds. "It's the spiritual and emotional support that changes outcomes."
Sylvester's nine-year survival proves this truth. "My faith, family and determination made all the difference," he says.
The Western Kenya MM Workshop
To continue improving care and addressing the persistent challenges, AMPATH Kenya’s Multiple Myeloma Program hosted the Western Kenya Multiple Myeloma Workshop earlier this year. This gathering brought together healthcare providers from county and mission hospitals, myeloma experts, and stakeholders from national bodies including the National Cancer Institute, National Cancer Control Program, KEMSA, Pharmacy and Poisons Board, Health Product and Technology, and the Social Health Authority—alongside international partners like Johnson & Johnson, Pfizer and ADONIS.
The workshop was designed to advance MM care by building stronger systems, disseminating the latest treatment knowledge, and developing strategies to overcome barriers in access, supply, and care delivery.
More than just a conference, this was a working session where policymakers heard directly from clinicians; where pharmaceutical partners learned about ground realities from patients like Sylvester; and where county hospitals gained tools to become first lines of defense against myeloma.
The Road Ahead
Yet for all the progress the MM program has made, people are still developing unexplained nosebleeds. New patients still arrive after exhausting diagnostic journeys--their symptoms as baffling to them as Sylvester's once were. This is why the AMPATH MM Program continues—to ensure that every "What's wrong with me?" meets not just with medical answers, but with the holistic support that makes treatment truly effective.
The workshop outcomes—such as standardized care pathways now being implemented across western Kenya—show what's possible when all stakeholders come together. Sylvester's story demonstrates the human impact of these systemic changes. But the patients still searching for answers are a reminder that the mission continues.
With every protocol implemented, every provider trained, every survivor who stands up to say "I'm still here," the AMPATH MM Program is writing a new story for myeloma in Kenya—one where no one has to face this fight alone, and where remission means more than just medical results, but renewed hope for life itself.
Read more about AMPATH’s Multiple Myeloma Program:
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33739854/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/?term=multiple%20myeloma%20ampath%20kenya