Evidence map›Paper›PMID 32664891›Full record

ArticleBMC public health2020

African-led health research and capacity building- is it working?

Victoria O Kasprowicz, Denis Chopera, Kim Darley Waddilove, Mark A Brockman, Jill Gilmour, Eric Hunter, William Kilembe, Etienne Karita, Simani Gaseitsiwe, Eduard J Sanders and 1 more

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In one paragraph

Article in BMC public health, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 92 papers, 3 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
92citing papers in PubMed, 3 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

92 citing papers in PubMed, 3 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.

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  20. Current trends and identified gaps in dysphagia research in Africa: A scoping review.The South African journal of communication disorders = Die Suid-Afrikaanse tydskrif vir Kommunikasieafwykings · 2025
    Article

32 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

11 authors.

Victoria O KasprowiczAfrica Health Research Institute, Durban, South Africa.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-8518-0458
Denis ChoperaAfrica Health Research Institute, Durban, South Africa.
Kim Darley WaddiloveAfrica Health Research Institute, Durban, South Africa.
Mark A BrockmanFaculty of Health Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC, Canada.
Jill GilmourImperial College London, London, UK.
Eric HunterDepartment of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA.
William KilembeRwanda Zambia Emory HIV Research Group, Zambia; Kigali, Rwanda and Emory University, Atlanta, USA.
Etienne KaritaRwanda Zambia Emory HIV Research Group, Zambia; Kigali, Rwanda and Emory University, Atlanta, USA.
Simani GaseitsiweBotswana-Harvard AIDS Institute Partnership, Gaborone, Botswana.
Eduard J SandersKenyan Medical Research Institute-Wellcome Trust Research Programme, Kilifi, Kenya.
Thumbi Ndung'uAfrica Health Research Institute, Durban, South Africa. thumbi.ndungu@ahri.org.

Funding

Wellcome Trust grant # DEL-15-006
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundAfrica bears a disproportionately high burden of globally significant disease but has lagged in knowledge production to address its health challenges. In this contribution, we discuss the challenges and approaches to health research capacity strengthening in sub-Saharan Africa and propose that the recent shift to an African-led approach is the most optimal. METHODS AND

findingsWe introduce several capacity building approaches and recent achievements, explore why African-led research on the continent is a potentially paradigm-shifting and innovative approach, and discuss the advantages and challenges thereof. We reflect on the approaches used by the African Academy of Sciences (AAS)-funded Sub-Saharan African Network for TB/HIV Research Excellence (SANTHE) consortium as an example of an effective African-led science and capacity building programme. We recommend the following as crucial components of future efforts: 1. Directly empowering African-based researchers, 2. Offering quality training and career development opportunities to large numbers of junior African scientists and support staff, and 3. Effective information exchange and collaboration. Furthermore, we argue that long-term investment from international donors and increasing funding commitments from African governments and philanthropies will be needed to realise a critical mass of local capacity and to create and sustain world-class research hubs that will be conducive to address Africa's intractable health challenges.

conclusionsOur experiences so far suggest that African-led research has the potential to overcome the vicious cycle of brain-drain and may ultimately lead to improvement of health and science-led economic transformation of Africa into a prosperous continent.

Indexed as

Capacity BuildingHealth Information ExchangeIntersectoral CollaborationAdultAfrica South of the SaharaBiomedical ResearchFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedResearch DesignResearch PersonnelAfricaCapacity buildingGlobal healthHealth research

Identifiers

PMID32664891
PMCPMC7359480

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.