GMAN Summit in Frankfurt, Germany organizations

Came Together From 25 Countries

from Ukraine. These efforts include translating materials and connecting the refugees with appropriate medical specialists in Romania.

 Suvi Sileekangas (Suomen Syöpäpotilaat, Finland) shared how the SND Grant enabled her to hold a hybrid educational event for 140 attendees in Tampere, Finland. Attendees included both myeloma patients and their loved ones, who gathered in person or online to learn from a myeloma specialist, a myeloma patient, and a psychologist.

 Hayley Beer (Myeloma Australia) made a remote presentation about how the SND Grant helped with the diversification of services offered to patients with myeloma, including younger people who have been diagnosed with myeloma. The new online support group is attracting participants from most states and territories in Australia, who attend meetings, webinars, and podcasts that feature guest speakers to address the needs of younger myeloma patients. A list of resources for younger patients is currently in development.

At the heart of the GMAN meeting in Frankfurt were the breakout sessions with GMAN Working Groups. Facilitator Jeff Bateman challenged the Summit attendees to envision what an ideal future would look like for myeloma patients in 2030 in the following 4 areas:

1. Patient access: Access to myeloma treatment around the world.

2. Health policy: How governmental organizations evaluate and value myeloma treatment, including new medicines, and how that affects patients with myeloma.

3. Clinical research: What studies are being undertaken, where the clinical trials are located, and which myeloma patients take part.

4. Capacity building: Which organizations around the world need to be more effective and do more to serve patients with myeloma.

Attendees took part in a brainstorming session to discuss the barriers that may prevent the ideal future from being realized and the concrete steps that each of the GMAN working groups can take to make the envisioned future a reality for myeloma patients. Each of the working groups will continue to meet online during the coming year to accomplish the tasks set at the Summit.

GMAN plans to hold an in-person meeting in Madrid, Spain, in the summer of 2024 to further improve outcomes for myeloma patients worldwide. MT