‘Sub-Saharan Africa accounts for 13·5% of the global population but less than 1% of global research output. In 2008, Africa produced 27 000 published papers—the same number as The Netherlands. Informed by a nuanced understanding of the causes of the current scenario, we propose action that should be taken by African universities, governments, and development partners to foster the development of research-active universities on the continent…’
So begins a Viewpoint paper in The Lancet, published online yesterday.
Repositioning Africa in global knowledge production
Lancet 2018
Published: August 30, 2018
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(18)31068-7
‘A 2014 World Bank study showed that sub-Saharan Africa has increased the quantity and quality of its research output substantially in the past 20 years: it more than doubled its annual research output from 2003 to 2012; its overall share of global research increased from 0·44% to 0·72% during the same period. Africa’s global citations have also grown from 0·06–0·16% to 0·12–0·28%.’
Best wishes, Neil
Let’s build a future where people are no longer dying for lack of healthcare information – Join HIFA: www.hifa.org