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Publication Details
AFRICAN RESEARCH NEXUS
SHINING A SPOTLIGHT ON AFRICAN RESEARCH
How Can the Operating Environment for Nutrition Research Be Improved in Sub-Saharan Africa? The Views of African Researchers
PLoS ONE, Volume 8, No. 6, Article e66355, Year 2013
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Description
Optimal nutrition is critical for human development and economic growth. Sub-Saharan Africa is facing high levels of food insecurity and only few sub-Saharan African countries are on track to eradicate extreme poverty and hunger by 2015. Effective research capacity is crucial for addressing emerging challenges and designing appropriate mitigation strategies in sub-Saharan Africa. A clear understanding of the operating environment for nutrition research in sub-Saharan Africa is a much needed prerequisite. We collected data on the barriers and requirements for conducting nutrition research in sub-Saharan Africa through semi-structured interviews with 144 participants involved in nutrition research in 35 countries in sub-Saharan Africa. A total of 133 interviews were retained for coding. The main barriers identified for effective nutrition research were the lack of funding due to poor recognition by policymakers of the importance of nutrition research and under-utilisation of research findings for developing policy, as well as an absence of research priority setting from within Africa. Current research topics were perceived to be mainly determined by funding bodies from outside Africa. Nutrition researchers argued for more commitment from policymakers at national level. The low capacity for nutrition research was mainly seen as a consequence of insufficient numbers of nutrition researchers, limited skills and a poor research infrastructure. In conclusion, African nutrition researchers argued how research priorities need to be identified by African stakeholders, accompanied by consensus building to enable creating a problem-driven national research agenda. In addition, it was considered necessary to promote interactions among researchers, and between researchers and policymakers. Multidisciplinary research and international and cross-African collaboration were seen as crucial to build capacity in sub-Saharan nutrition research. © 2013 Van Royen et al.
Authors & Co-Authors
Van Royen, Kathleen
Belgium, Ghent
Universiteit Gent
Belgium, Antwerpen
Prins Leopold Instituut Voor Tropische Geneeskunde
Lachat, Carl K.
Belgium, Ghent
Universiteit Gent
Belgium, Antwerpen
Prins Leopold Instituut Voor Tropische Geneeskunde
Holdsworth, Michelle
United Kingdom, Sheffield
Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health
Smit, Karlien
South Africa, Potchefstroom
North-west University
Kinabo, Joyce Ludovick D.
Tanzania
Sokoine University
Roberfroid, Dominique Albert
Belgium, Antwerpen
Prins Leopold Instituut Voor Tropische Geneeskunde
Nago, Eunice S.
Benin, Cotonou
University of Abomey-calavi
Garimoi-Orach, Christopher
Uganda, Kampala
Makerere University
Kolsteren, Patrick Wilfried V.J.
Belgium, Ghent
Universiteit Gent
Belgium, Antwerpen
Prins Leopold Instituut Voor Tropische Geneeskunde
Statistics
Citations: 24
Authors: 9
Affiliations: 7
Identifiers
Doi:
10.1371/journal.pone.0066355
e-ISSN:
19326203
Research Areas
Food Security
Health System And Policy