Trends in Malaria Research in 11 Asian Pacific Countries
Author Information
Author(s): Andersen Finn, Douglas Nick M, Bustos Dorina, Galappaththy Gawrie, Qi Gao, Hsiang Michelle S, Kusriastuti Rita, Mendis Kamini, Taleo George, Whittaker Maxine, Price Ric N, von Seidlein Lorenz
Primary Institution: Menzies School of Health Research
Hypothesis
The study aims to characterize trends in malaria-related literature from 1990 to 2009 in 11 Asian-Pacific countries committed to malaria elimination.
Conclusion
The proportion of malaria-related publications out of the overall biomedical output from the 11 target Asian-Pacific countries is decreasing.
Supporting Evidence
- 2,700 articles published between 1990 and 2009 related to malaria in the target countries.
- The annual output of malaria-related papers increased linearly.
- The percentage of malaria-related publications decreased from nearly 3% in 1992 to less than 1% in 2009.
- Thailand had the highest absolute output of malaria-related papers.
- Solomon Islands and Vanuatu had the highest number of publications per capita.
- 53% of papers concerned the epidemiology and control of malaria.
- An increase in articles relating to epidemiology and entomology was observed from the first to the second decade.
- The proportion of papers on drugs and clinical aspects of malaria decreased.
Takeaway
Researchers looked at how many studies about malaria were published in 11 countries over 20 years, and found that fewer studies are being published compared to other medical research.
Methodology
A systematic search was conducted for articles published from January 1990 to December 2009 in PubMed/MEDLINE using terms for malaria and 11 target countries.
Potential Biases
Publications that did not clearly distinguish between South Korea and North Korea may have resulted in an inflated number of papers attributed to North Korea.
Limitations
The study has potential limitations in selection bias and misclassification, as not all research results in a publication.
Participant Demographics
The study included 11 Asian-Pacific countries with varying populations and economic statuses.
Statistical Information
P-Value
p < 0.001
Confidence Interval
95% CI 1.89 to 2.00
Statistical Significance
p < 0.001
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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