HIV research output in African Countries between 1986-2020

Area of Science:

• Bibliometrics and Health Sciences
• Epidemiology and Public Health Research

Background:

• The scientific literature on Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) has expanded dramatically since its identification as the cause of Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS).
• Bibliometric analysis offers a robust method for evaluating scientific output quantitatively and qualitatively.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze and describe the trends in HIV research output from African countries between 1986 and 2020.
• To comparatively assess research productivity in relation to national population, Gross Domestic Product (GDP), and the number of people living with HIV (PLHIV).

Main Methods:

• A comprehensive search of the PubMed database was conducted in June 2021, covering publications from 1986 to 2020.
• Poisson regression models were employed to analyze trends in research output, while Pearson correlation assessed associations with GDP, population, and PLHIV.
• Research output was normalized by dividing the number of publications by each country's population, GDP, and PLHIV estimates.

Main Results:

• A total of 83,527 HIV-related articles from African nations were identified.
• The Republic of South Africa, Uganda, Kenya, and Nigeria collectively contributed 54% of the total publications.
• Africa's share of global HIV publications rose from 5.1% in 1986 to 31.3% in 2020, with strong positive correlations observed between research output and GDP, population, and PLHIV.

Conclusions:

• Africa's contribution to global HIV research has grown substantially but still lags behind its disease burden.
• Significant disparities in research output exist across African sub-regions, with the Republic of South Africa leading.
• Economic capacity, disease burden (epidemiology), and population size are key determinants of HIV research productivity in Africa.