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Patterns of international collaboration in cardiovascular research in sub-Saharan Africa
1Alberta Innovates - Health Solutions, Edmonton, Canada.
Insights
Cardiovascular research (CVR) in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) shows limited intra-regional collaboration, with most international partnerships involving Europe and North America. Strengthening SSA CVR collaboration is vital for regional health and economic benefits.
Area of Science:
- Cardiovascular Research
- Public Health
- Bibliometrics
Background:
- Cardiovascular disease is a growing health and economic burden in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA).
- International collaboration is crucial for advancing scientific research and its impact.
- Understanding collaboration patterns in cardiovascular research (CVR) within SSA is essential.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze the patterns and scientific impact of international collaboration in CVR in SSA.
- To identify key collaborating regions and countries in SSA's CVR landscape.
- To inform strategies for enhancing CVR collaboration within SSA.
Main Methods:
- Bibliometric analysis of cardiovascular-related publications.
- Data sourced from Web of Science (2005-2014).
- Inclusion criteria: at least one author affiliated with an SSA country.
Main Results:
- Intra-SSA collaboration represented less than 10% of multi-country publications involving SSA.
- Collaboration was dominated by European and North American countries.
- South Africa was the primary hub for CVR collaboration within SSA.
Conclusions:
- SSA's cardiovascular research collaboration is heavily reliant on external partners.
- Pro-active strategies are needed to foster stronger intra-regional CVR collaboration in SSA.
- Enhanced collaboration can yield significant health and socio-economic benefits for the region.
Abstract:
The rising prevalence of cardiovascular disease in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) constitutes a significant health and socio-economic challenge for the countries in the region. This study examines the patterns and scientific impact of international collaboration in cardiovascular research (CVR) in SSA. Bibliographic data from 2005 to 2014 were obtained from the Web of Science for cardiovascular-related publications with at least one author affiliated to an SSA country. The number of publications involving multiple SSA countries over this period accounted for less than 10% of the total number of multi-country publications that included at least one SSA country. Collaboration patterns reflected dominance by countries in Europe and North America, with South Africa accounting for the bulk of scientific collaboration in CVR within SSA. The findings indicate that pro-active strategies are needed to strengthen collaboration in CVR across SSA for the region to derive health and socio-economic benefits from locally conducted research.
