infectious and parasitic diseases wreak havoc in poor countries. But authors and editors from these nations are significantly under-represented in journals that publish research on tropical medicine. This is the finding of a study published in the British Medical Journal (Vol 328, No 7450, May 22, 2004). Researchers from us-based Princeton University and Swiss Tropical Institute have conducted the study.
They reviewed the geographical origin of contributors to leading journals that publish research on tropical medicine. The results were then tallied with the United Nations Human Development Index (hdi), which ranks countries according to life expectancy, income and education levels. More than 70 per cent of editorial and advisory board members for seven leading journals were from rich nations (with high hdi) and just five per cent from poor countries (see table: Editorial advice...).
| Editorial advice:
monopoly of the rich |
| Journals |
High* |
Medium* |
Low* |
| American Journal of Tropical Medicine
and Hygiene |
88.2 |
11.8 |
0 |
| Tropical Medicine and International
Health |
82.8 |
10.3 |
6.9 |
| Transactions of the Royal Society of
Tropical Medicine and Hygiene |
100 |
0 |
0 |
| Acta Tropica |
81.5 |
14.8 |
3.7 |
| Leprosy Review |
100 |
0 |
0 |
| Annals of Tropical Medicine and
Parasitology |
80.9 |
10.6 |
8.5 |
| International Journal of Leprosy and
Other Mycobacterial Diseases |
52.3 |
42.9 |
4.8 |
| Memorias do Instituto Oswaldo Cruz |
48.5 |
51.5 |
0 |
| Annals of Tropical Paediatrics |
52.2 |
30.4 |
17.4 |
| Journal of Tropical Pediatrics |
57.1 |
42.9 |
0 |
| Tropical Doctor |
47.3 |
36.8 |
15.8 |
| Bulletin de la Societ de Pathologie
Exotique |
91.3 |
4.3 |
4.3 |
*Percentage of members of editorial and
advisory boards
in the respective categories of the human development index
Source: British Medical Journal, Vol 328, No 7450, May 22, 2004 |
|
The researchers also looked at the origin of authors who published papers between 2000-02. Only 14 per cent were from poor countries. The proportion of papers generated 'exclusively' by authors from poor nations was just 1.7 per cent in the American Journal of Tropical Medicine and 7.7 per cent in the Leprosy Review.
These findings are in contrast with the common occurrence of collaborations between scientists of rich and poor countries. The authors suggest a range of initiatives to redress the imbalance, including establishing regional offices for journals in tropical countries.
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