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Addressing inequalities in research capacity in Africa

2005; BMJ; Volume: 331; Issue: 7519 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1136/bmj.331.7519.705

0959-8138

Jimmy Volmink, Lola Dare,

Global Public Health Policies and Epidemiology

Addressing inequalities in research capacity in AfricaAll sides in partnerships must ensure that research aims to improve the health of all T his special theme issue includes a feast of high quality papers by African researchers on a range of topics of great relevance to health and health care in Africa.Despite our best efforts we did not achieve the geographical spread of submissions that we hoped for, mostly because we receive articles from authors in only a few African countries.We do not know the extent to which this reflects lack of research capacity or whether the prevailing political, social, and economic conditions in these countries militate against meaningful research.Whatever the reasons, the dearth of research done in Africa for Africa is untenable.Research capacity-comprising the institutional and regulatory frameworks, infrastructure, investment, and sufficiently skilled people to conduct and publish research-varies widely across African countries.In a report to the World Bank that ranked countries according to their national investments and productivity in science and technology, South Africa, Egypt, and Mauritius did reasonably well, while the rest of Africa appeared at the bottom of the league table under "scientifically lagging countries." 1 Although this generalisation obscures the fact that scientifically less advanced countries may have excellent capacity in certain niche areas, there can be no doubt that African research is moribund.Inequalities in health research contribute to inequalities in health.If science is to live up to its promise to improve health and spur development, all countries should be able to participate in research.][4] Collaboration in research, widely represented in this theme issue, may be one vehicle for strengthening research capacity in less privileged countries.African scientists welcome collaboration with the North as a means of overcoming barriers to research and promoting exchange of ideas.Unfortunately, Africans seem less enthusiastic about collaboration between countries within their own continent.This situation may improve: the New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD) is actively facilitating partnerships within Africa and with the international community. 5Given the unequal power relations between rich and poor nations, research collaboration between them poses certain risks.A promising future for health research in Africa