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Research article
CARTA Fellows’ Scientific Contribution to the African Public and Population Health Research Agenda (2011 to 2018)
Edna N Bosire
University of the Witwatersrand Faculty of Health Sciences
Corresponding Author
ORCiD: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4781-7101
License:
This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License. Read Full License
View the published version at BMC Public Health.
Background: Since its inception in 2009, the Consortium for Advanced Research Training in Africa (CARTA) program has focused on strengthening the capacity of nine African universities and four research centres to produce skilled researchers and scholars able to improve public and population health on the continent. This study describes the alignment between CARTA-supported doctoral topics and publications with the priorities articulated by the African public and population health research agenda.
Methods: We reviewed the output from CARTA PhD fellows between 2011 and 2018 to establish the volume and scope of the publications, and the degree to which the research focus coincided with the SDGs, World Bank, and African Development Bank research priority areas. We identified nine key priority areas into which the topics were classified.
Results: In total, 140 CARTA fellows published 806 articles in peer-reviewed journals over the 8 years up to 2018. All the publications considered in this paper had authors affiliated with African universities, 90% of the publications had an African university first author and 41% of the papers have CARTA fellows as the first author. The publications are available in over 6300 online versions and have been cited in over 5500 other publications. About 69% of the published papers addressed the nine African public and population health research agenda and SDG priority areas. Infectious diseases topped the list of publications (26.8%), followed by the health system and policy research (17.6%), maternal and child health (14.7%), sexual and reproductive health (14.3%).
Conclusions: Investments by CARTA in supporting doctoral studies provides fellows with sufficient training and skills to publish their research in fields of public and population health. The number of publications is understandably uneven across Africa’s public and population priority areas. Even while low in number, fellows are publishing in areas such as non-communicable disease, health financing, neglected tropical diseases and environmental health. Violence and injury is perhaps underrepresented. There is need to keep developing research capacity in partner institutions with low research output by training more PhDs in such institutions and by facilitating enabling environments for research.
Keywords
Population and health priorities, doctoral research, African agenda, peer review publications
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CURRENT STATUS: Published
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Posted 18 Jun, 2020
Published
On 29 Jun, 2020
No community comments so far
Submission checks complete
On 17 Jun, 2020
Editorial decision: Accept
On 17 Jun, 2020
No comments provided
Editorial decision: Minor revision
On 12 Jun, 2020
Reviewer #2 agreed
On 10 Jun, 2020
Review #2 received
Received 10 Jun, 2020
Editor assigned
On 26 May, 2020
Reviewers invited
Invitations sent on 26 May, 2020
Reviewer #1 agreed
On 26 May, 2020
Review #1 received
Received 26 May, 2020
Submission checks complete
On 25 May, 2020
Editor invited
On 25 May, 2020
No comments provided
Review #2 received
Received 22 May, 2020
Editorial decision: Minor revision
On 22 May, 2020
Review #1 received
Received 07 May, 2020
Reviewer #2 agreed
On 01 May, 2020
Reviewer #1 agreed
On 30 Apr, 2020
Reviewers invited
Invitations sent on 28 Apr, 2020
Editor assigned
On 27 Apr, 2020
Editor invited
On 26 Apr, 2020
Submission checks complete
On 27 Feb, 2020
No comments provided
Review #3 received
Received 08 Mar, 2020
Review #1 received
Received 08 Mar, 2020
Review #2 received
Received 08 Mar, 2020
Editorial decision: Major revision
On 08 Mar, 2020
Review #6 received
Received 06 Mar, 2020
Reviewer #12 agreed
On 04 Mar, 2020
Review #12 received
Received 04 Mar, 2020
Review #4 received
Received 04 Mar, 2020
Reviewer #11 agreed
On 01 Mar, 2020
Reviewer #10 agreed
On 29 Feb, 2020
Reviewer #9 agreed
On 28 Feb, 2020
Reviewer #8 agreed
On 27 Feb, 2020
Reviewer #6 agreed
On 24 Feb, 2020
Reviewer #7 agreed
On 24 Feb, 2020
Reviewer #5 agreed
On 23 Feb, 2020
Reviewer #2 agreed
On 21 Feb, 2020
Reviewer #3 agreed
On 21 Feb, 2020
Reviewer #4 agreed
On 21 Feb, 2020
Editor assigned
On 20 Feb, 2020
Reviewers invited
Invitations sent on 20 Feb, 2020
Reviewer #1 agreed
On 20 Feb, 2020
Submission checks complete
On 19 Feb, 2020
Editor invited
On 19 Feb, 2020
First submitted
On 12 Feb, 2020
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This preprint is under consideration at BMC Public Health. A preprint is a preliminary version of a manuscript that has not completed peer review at a journal. Research Square does not conduct peer review prior to posting preprints. The posting of a preprint on this server should not be interpreted as an endorsement of its validity or suitability for dissemination as established information or for guiding clinical practice.
Learn more about In Review
Research article
CARTA Fellows’ Scientific Contribution to the African Public and Population Health Research Agenda (2011 to 2018)
Edna N Bosire
University of the Witwatersrand Faculty of Health Sciences
Corresponding Author
ORCiD: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4781-7101
Badges
Prescreen
This manuscript passed our Prescreen assessment
Complete author information
Appropriate declaration statements
Potential risks to human health
Prescreen
Peer Review Timeline
CURRENT STATUS: Published
Version 4
Posted 18 Jun, 2020
Published
On 29 Jun, 2020
No community comments so far
Submission checks complete
On 17 Jun, 2020
Editorial decision: Accept
On 17 Jun, 2020
No comments provided
Editorial decision: Minor revision
On 12 Jun, 2020
Reviewer #2 agreed
On 10 Jun, 2020
Review #2 received
Received 10 Jun, 2020
Editor assigned
On 26 May, 2020
Reviewers invited
Invitations sent on 26 May, 2020
Reviewer #1 agreed
On 26 May, 2020
Review #1 received
Received 26 May, 2020
Submission checks complete
On 25 May, 2020
Editor invited
On 25 May, 2020
No comments provided
Review #2 received
Received 22 May, 2020
Editorial decision: Minor revision
On 22 May, 2020
Review #1 received
Received 07 May, 2020
Reviewer #2 agreed
On 01 May, 2020
Reviewer #1 agreed
On 30 Apr, 2020
Reviewers invited
Invitations sent on 28 Apr, 2020
Editor assigned
On 27 Apr, 2020
Editor invited
On 26 Apr, 2020
Submission checks complete
On 27 Feb, 2020
No comments provided
Review #3 received
Received 08 Mar, 2020
Review #1 received
Received 08 Mar, 2020
Review #2 received
Received 08 Mar, 2020
Editorial decision: Major revision
On 08 Mar, 2020
Review #6 received
Received 06 Mar, 2020
Reviewer #12 agreed
On 04 Mar, 2020
Review #12 received
Received 04 Mar, 2020
Review #4 received
Received 04 Mar, 2020
Reviewer #11 agreed
On 01 Mar, 2020
Reviewer #10 agreed
On 29 Feb, 2020
Reviewer #9 agreed
On 28 Feb, 2020
Reviewer #8 agreed
On 27 Feb, 2020
Reviewer #6 agreed
On 24 Feb, 2020
Reviewer #7 agreed
On 24 Feb, 2020
Reviewer #5 agreed
On 23 Feb, 2020
Reviewer #2 agreed
On 21 Feb, 2020
Reviewer #3 agreed
On 21 Feb, 2020
Reviewer #4 agreed
On 21 Feb, 2020
Editor assigned
On 20 Feb, 2020
Reviewers invited
Invitations sent on 20 Feb, 2020
Reviewer #1 agreed
On 20 Feb, 2020
Submission checks complete
On 19 Feb, 2020
Editor invited
On 19 Feb, 2020
First submitted
On 12 Feb, 2020
Metrics
Comments: 0
PDF Downloads: ...
HTML Views: ...
License:
This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License. Read Full License
View the published version at BMC Public Health.
Background: Since its inception in 2009, the Consortium for Advanced Research Training in Africa (CARTA) program has focused on strengthening the capacity of nine African universities and four research centres to produce skilled researchers and scholars able to improve public and population health on the continent. This study describes the alignment between CARTA-supported doctoral topics and publications with the priorities articulated by the African public and population health research agenda.
Methods: We reviewed the output from CARTA PhD fellows between 2011 and 2018 to establish the volume and scope of the publications, and the degree to which the research focus coincided with the SDGs, World Bank, and African Development Bank research priority areas. We identified nine key priority areas into which the topics were classified.
Results: In total, 140 CARTA fellows published 806 articles in peer-reviewed journals over the 8 years up to 2018. All the publications considered in this paper had authors affiliated with African universities, 90% of the publications had an African university first author and 41% of the papers have CARTA fellows as the first author. The publications are available in over 6300 online versions and have been cited in over 5500 other publications. About 69% of the published papers addressed the nine African public and population health research agenda and SDG priority areas. Infectious diseases topped the list of publications (26.8%), followed by the health system and policy research (17.6%), maternal and child health (14.7%), sexual and reproductive health (14.3%).
Conclusions: Investments by CARTA in supporting doctoral studies provides fellows with sufficient training and skills to publish their research in fields of public and population health. The number of publications is understandably uneven across Africa’s public and population priority areas. Even while low in number, fellows are publishing in areas such as non-communicable disease, health financing, neglected tropical diseases and environmental health. Violence and injury is perhaps underrepresented. There is need to keep developing research capacity in partner institutions with low research output by training more PhDs in such institutions and by facilitating enabling environments for research.
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
Figure 4
Figure 5