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BMJ open, 2015
To assess the profile and determinants of health research productivity in Africa since the onset of the new millennium. Bibliometric analysis. In November 2014, we searched PubMed for articles published between 2000 and 2014 from the WHO African Region, and obtained country-level indicators from World Bank data. We used Poisson regression to examine time trends in research publications and negative binomial regression to explore determinants of research publications. We identified 107 662 publications, with a median of 727 per country (range 25-31 757). Three countries (South Africa, Nigeria and Kenya) contributed 52% of the publications. The number of publications increased from 3623 in 2000 to 12 709 in 2014 (relative growth 251%). Similarly, the per cent share of worldwide research publications per year increased from 0.7% in 2000 to 1.3% in 2014. The trend analysis was also significant to confirm a continuous increase in health research publications from Africa, with productivit...
Objective: To describe and analyse research output from surveyed national health research institutions in Africa. Design: The survey used a structured questionnaire to solicit information from 847 health research institutions in 42 countries of the World Health Organization African Region. Setting: Eight hundred and forty-seven health research institutions in 42 sub-Saharan African countries. Participants: Key informants from the health research institutions. Main outcome measures: Volume, type and medium of publications, and distribution of research outputs. Results: Books or chapters for books accounted for the highest number of information products published (on average 16.7 per respondent institution), followed by patents registered in country (8.2), discussion or working papers (6.5) and conference proceedings (6.4). Publication in a peer-reviewed journal constituted only a minor part of research output (on average about 1 paper per institution). Radio and TV broadcasts on health research accounted for the highest number of products issued by institution staff (on average 5.5 per institution), followed by peer-reviewed journals indexed internationally (3.8) or nationally (3.1). There were, on average, 1.5 press releases, 1.5 newspaper or magazine articles, and 1.4 policy briefs per institution. Over half of respondent institutions (52%) developed briefs and summaries of articles to share with their target audiences, 43% developed briefs for possible actions and 37% provided articles and reports upon request. Only a small proportion of information products produced were available in institutional databases. Conclusions: The research output of health research institutions in the Region is significant, but more effort is needed to strengthen research capacity, including human and financial resources.
Status of national health research systems in ten countries of the WHO African Region
BMC Health Services Research, 2006
The World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Committee for Africa, in 1998, passed a resolution (AFR/RC48/R4) which urged its Member States in the Region to develop national research policies and strategies and to build national health research capacities, particularly through resource allocation, training of senior officials, strengthening of research institutions and establishment of coordination mechanisms.
Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine, 2014
Objective: To describe and analyse research output from surveyed national health research institutions in Africa. Design: The survey used a structured questionnaire to solicit information from 847 health research institutions in 42 countries of the World Health Organization African Region. Setting: Eight hundred and forty-seven health research institutions in 42 sub-Saharan African countries. Participants: Key informants from the health research institutions. Main outcome measures: Volume, type and medium of publications, and distribution of research outputs. Results: Books or chapters for books accounted for the highest number of information products published (on average 16.7 per respondent institution), followed by patents registered in country (8.2), discussion or working papers (6.5) and conference proceedings (6.4). Publication in a peer-reviewed journal constituted only a minor part of research output (on average about 1 paper per institution). Radio and TV broadcasts on health research accounted for the highest number of products issued by institution staff (on average 5.5 per institution), followed by peer-reviewed journals indexed internationally (3.8) or nationally (3.1). There were, on average, 1.5 press releases, 1.5 newspaper or magazine articles, and 1.4 policy briefs per institution. Over half of respondent institutions (52%) developed briefs and summaries of articles to share with their target audiences, 43% developed briefs for possible actions and 37% provided articles and reports upon request. Only a small proportion of information products produced were available in institutional databases. Conclusions: The research output of health research institutions in the Region is significant, but more effort is needed to strengthen research capacity, including human and financial resources.
Globalization and Health
Background: Health challenges and health systems setups differ, warranting contextualised healthcare interventions to move towards universal health coverage. As such, there is emphasis on generation of contextualized evidence to solve local challenges. However, weak research capacity and inadequate resources remain an impendiment to quality research in the African region. WHO African Region (WHO AFR) facilitated the adoption of a regional strategy for strengthening national health research systems (NHRS) in 2015. We assessed the progress in strengthening NHRS among the 47 member states of the WHO AFR. Methods: We employed a cross sectional survey design using a semi structured questionnaire. All the 47member states of WHO AFR were surveyed. We assessed performance against indicators of the regional research strategy, explored facilitating factors and barriers to strengthening NHRS. Using the research barometer, which is a metric developed for the WHO AFR we assessed the strength of NHRS of member states. Data were analysed in Excel Software to calculate barometer scores for NHRS function and sub-function. Thematic content was employed in analysing the qualitative data. Data for 2014 were compared to 2018 to assess progress. Results: WHO AFR member states have made significant progress in strengthening their NHRS. Some of the indicators have either attained or exceeded the 2025 targets. The average regional barometer score improved from 43% in 2014 to 61% in 2018. Significant improvements were registered in the governance of research for health (R4H); developing and sustaining research resources and producing and using research. Financing R4H improved only modestly. Among the constraints are the lengthy ethical clearance processes, weak research coordination mechanisms, weak enforcement of research laws and regulation, inadequate research infrastructure, limited resource mobilisation skills and donor dependence. Conclusion: There has been significant improvement in the NHRS of member states of the WHO AFRO since the last assessment in 2014. Improvement across the different objectives of the regional research strategy is however varied which compromises overall performance. The survey highlighted the areas with slow improvement that require a concerted effort. Furthermore, the study provides an opportunity for countries to share best practice in areas of excellence.
Journal of Higher Education in Africa, 2022
The objective of this research is to determine the quantity and quality of publications in biomedical research in top-producing countries in West Africa during 2005-14 as well as the characteristics of the journals and collaborative evidence in the area. Data was drawn from MEDLINE/ PubMed and Google Scholar while the impact factors of the journals were retrieved from the SCImago Journal and Country Rank portal. Quantity of publications was measured by counting the number of publications attributable to a country while h-index was extracted to measure quality. Productivity was analysed by sorting the data according to their first authors, journals and publication dates, and analysed using MS Excel and LOTKA®. Nigeria, Ghana, Senegal, Burkina Faso and Mali had the highest number of publications. In respect of productivity, apart from Côte d'Ivoire that had an α value less than 2, indicating a higher level of productivity, all other countries had an α value greater than 2. West African Journal of Medicine is the only journal of West African origin in the list of top ten journals where the authors from the sub-region published their papers, and it ranked tenth. Nigeria and Ghana published a lot more of their research papers in local journals in comparison with other countries, but these journals have very low mean impact factors. This study reinforces the need for improved research collaboration between the big and small countries.
South African Journal of Science, 2011
Many diseases in Africa can be prevented with appropriate public health interventions. This study aimed to assess the bibliometric characteristics of public health related research articles published by researchers in African institutions from 1991 to 2005. Data used in this study were obtained from the online version of the ISI Web of Science: Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-Expanded). Articles published between 1991 and 2005 that had the phrase 'public health' in the title, author keywords or abstract, and had at least one author whose contact address was in an African country, were selected for analysis. The annual number of public health related articles published by African researchers significantly increased from 28 articles in 1991 to 135 articles in 2005, a 382% increase. International collaboration also increased: from 45% of articles having international collaborators during 1991-1995, to 52% during1996-2000, and to 67% during 2001-2005. Collaborations were mostly with European and North American countries. Keywords, subject categories and collaboration patterns of articles varied across regions, reflecting differences in needs and collaboration networks. Public health related research output, as well as international collaborations, have been increasing in Africa. Regional variation observed in this study may assist policymakers to facilitate the advancement of public health research in different regions of Africa, and could be useful for international organisations in identifying needs and to allocate research funding. Future bibliometric analyses of articles published by African researchers, can consider conducting regional comparisons using standardised methods, as well as describing the overall patterns, in order to provide a more comprehensive view of their bibliometric characteristics.
The objective of this research is to determine (i) the quantity and quality of publications in biomedical research in top-producing countries in West Africa during 2005–2014, as well as (ii) the characteristics of the journals used by the researchers and collaborative evidence in the area. Data was drawn from MEDLINE/PubMed and Google Scholar, while the impact factors of the journals were retrieved from the SCImago Journal and Country Rank portal. Quantity of publications was measured by counting the number of publications attributable to a country while h-index was extracted to measure quality. Productivity was analysed by sorting the data according to their first named authors, journals and publication dates, and analysed using MS Excel and LOTKA ®. Nigeria, Ghana, Senegal, Burkina Faso and Mali had the highest number of publications. In respect to productivity, apart from Côte d'Ivoire that had an α value of less than 2, indicating a higher level of productivity, all other countries had an α value greater than 2. West African Journal of Medicine is the only journal of West African origin in the list of top ten journals where the authors from the sub-region published their papers, and it ranked tenth in the top twenty journals used. Nigeria and Ghana published more research in local journals in comparison with other countries, but these journals have very low mean impact factors. This study reinforces the need for improved research production and collaboration between the big and small countries.