Satellite image of Africa.Credit: public domain
Adolescent girls in sub-Saharan Africa are vulnerable to premature unintentional pregnancy, HIV, child marriage, sexual violence, female genital mutilation, and associated mortality and disability. This is especially true for the poorest people.
Three quarters of New HIV infection People between the ages of 15 and 19 live in sub-Saharan Africa.Pregnancy-related complications and AIDS are the main causes Cause Of death among adolescents in the area.
The high burden of poor sexual and reproductive health poses a threat to the immediate and future health and socio-economic well-being of young people in the region. Improving the health of young people in sub-Saharan Africa is a priority for many governments, researchers and development partners.
Governments in the region have made several efforts to improve adolescent sexual and reproductive health. These include Maputo Protocol, African Union Agenda 2063 And that African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of Children..
However, many of these commitments have not been implemented at the national level. We believe this is partly because we do not have the evidence needed to notify the policy. Political leaders may be skeptical of foreign-led research aimed at informing local strategies.
In general, research on adolescent sexual and reproductive health has increased significantly over the last decade. But who is driving it?
In us Recent treatises We investigated a series of studies on adolescent sexual and reproductive health in sub-Saharan Africa. No research has systematically mapped this existing body of knowledge. We wanted to see how much research was done and led by African scientists, and how some general topics were covered.
The survey was mottled and found to be concentrated in only six countries. There were also spots depending on the subject. Some subjects received a lot of attention, such as HIV and gender-based violence, while others received virtually no subject at all. We also found that the percentage of African-based researchers as lead writers is very low.
Our study
We examined adolescent sexual and reproductive health studies in sub-Saharan Africa from January 2010 to December 2019. Research in this area increased during this period. However, our review reveals that there are large gaps in the geographical extent of these studies.
Most of the sub-Saharan African countries have had limited research. Most of the survey was conducted in 6 of the 46 countries in the region (South Africa, 19.2%, Kenya, 12.1%, Nigeria, 9.1%, Tanzania, 8.0%, Uganda, 8.0%, Ethiopia, 7.5%). There were no publications on adolescent sexual and reproductive health in 10 countries, and only one treatise in each of the five countries.
HIV-like problems, Sexual behavior, Access to sexual and reproductive health services, sexual and gender-based violence, adolescent pregnancy, and Marriage of a child It attracted the attention of great research.
However, limited attention was paid to other topics. Among these were other sexually transmitted diseases, comprehensive sexuality education, and age-appropriate services. Menstrual hygiene, gender norms, early adolescence (ages 10-14), program interventions, and policy assessments were also poorly studied.
We also found that the percentage of African-based researchers in the position of lead author is low.
One in six articles did not include local authors. And local researchers led more than half of the research. When African authors collaborated with European and American researchers, they were less likely to be lead authors.These findings are consistent with what they were before research..
The low proportion of African-based authors in the lead author position may reflect limited access to research resources and an imbalance of power in knowledge production.
However, publications, especially expressions in the position of the lead author, are important to researchers. It helps to secure a job, promotion, or leadership position in a scholar or research institution. If sub-Saharan African researchers are excluded as authors or lead authors of the studies they have contributed to, their chances of benefiting are limited.
However, it is worth noting that without a US-based or EU-based author, the study may simply not happen. this is, Adolescence Sexual and Reproductive health Studies in sub-Saharan Africa come from the United States and Europe. And authors in these countries are more likely to receive these research funds.
In most cases, they are funded, have expertise, and design studies. Therefore, it is not surprising that foreign writers have led much of the research in the region.
Need for change
Special research is needed to evaluate existing policies and inform them of efforts to implement them better. Regional evidence should facilitate policy discussions, advocacy, and decisions. Therefore, funders and researchers should prioritize topics and settings that are lacking in research. It is also important to develop a research ecosystem and professionals in a country with little research.
The underestimation of African scholars as lead authors perpetuates the imbalance of power in knowledge production. Funders, journals and research institutes need to develop policies and principles to address imbalances and make local researchers more prominent.This will be some way to respond to the global decolonization call. health..
Finally, Africa Change agenda, The research ecosystem requires a large investment.meet 1% of GDP Research efforts are an important first step.
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Quote: Adolescent sexual and reproductive health studies are mottled in Africa (August 23, 2021).
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