Bridging the global health divides

The information gap between rich and poor countries is widening, and the digital divide is more dramatic than any inequity in health or income.[1] Of 3.47 million articles in 4,091 health-related publications reviewed from 1991 to 2002, 90% were contributed by authors in the 20 most developed nations; writers from the 63 poorest countries accounted for under 2%. Representation from sub-Saharan Africa actually declined over the period, and 96% of the articles were in English. A 2003 survey found only two of 111 editorial board members in a selection of leading medical journals came from low-income countries.[2,3,4].