Global Health: A Review of Concepts, Players, and Publications

Fabio Zicker,Priscila Albuquerque,Bruna Fonseca

doi:10.15171/ijtmgh.2019.02

Abstract

Introduction: The increasing number of global health initiatives have contributed to improving access to health services and building knowledge platforms. However, the distribution of activities and knowledge produced has been uneven. To scope the scientific output in global health, publications from 2008-2017 were reviewed to identify major players, assess the extent of involvement of low- and middleincome countries (LMIC), and map areas of research interest. Methods: A total of 3153 Web of Science (WoS) publications were retrieved, of which 2423 were selected for this review. The country of origin, institutions involved, types of documents, language of publication, journal titles, content categories, authorship, themes, and characteristics of collaboration were examined. Results: Over the years, the number of global health publications from both high-income countries (HIC) and LMIC has increased. Authors from LMIC were engaged in 19.3% of the publications, representing 10.3% of first authors and 9.7% of single-author articles. Collaboration across World Health Organization (WHO) regions ranged from 29.6% to 64.6%. Themes of greatest research interest were capacity development, health policy and systems, and disease control. Conclusion: Global health research is experiencing rapid expansion, but LMIC authors continue to have limited involvement. The current study revealed diversity in publications, journals, and actors with a marked influence from developed countries. As north-south and southsouth research partnerships are increasing across the world, it is important to ensure open collaboration between partners and alignment with public health research priorities and needs.

Highlights

The increasing number of global health initiatives have contributed to improving access to health services and building knowledge platforms
While academic articles accounted for 39% of the Web of Science (WoS) records, one-third of the records were editorials, revealing to some extent that global health has been a topic of growing interest and discussion
Results of the current study revealed that developed countries play a leading role in knowledge production, while most of the global health issues to be addressed - equity in access, good quality of services, and affordability - are typical of low- and middleincome countries (LMIC)

Summary

Introduction

The increasing number of global health initiatives have contributed to improving access to health services and building knowledge platforms. To scope the scientific output in global health, publications from 2008-2017 were reviewed to identify major players, assess the extent of involvement of low- and middleincome countries (LMIC), and map areas of research interest. Traditional and new actors have engaged in a range of initiatives including research and development (R&D), training, program implementation, and policy development. The global health scenario has evolved to encompass a multitude of organizations, strategies, and approaches that have offered new opportunities for the collaboration and engagement of LMIC in decision-making and management.[1] Multilateral, regional, and bilateral cooperation has focused on improving the capacity to prevent, control, or eliminate diseases and unfavorable health conditions. Some public-private partnerships have been established with international resources to increase access to health technologies and to develop new drugs, vaccines, and diagnostics for neglected diseases.[2,3] Non-state actors such as philanthropic foundations, NGOs, and multinational corporations have substantially increased funding and donations to product R&D.4

Objectives

Results

Discussion

Conclusion