Microbiome research in Africa must be based on equitable partnerships


A new framework in Nature Medicine advocates for more equitable microbiome research collaborations, emphasizing the need for African scientists to lead studies. This approach aims to enhance the role of African researchers and ensure fair partnerships with international collaborators.

A framework is presented for equitable and effective microbiome research partnerships between African researchers, international partners, healthcare professionals, policymakers and stakeholders.

Out now, in Nature Medicine, we continue our efforts to promote and highlight research on African Microbiomes. Current studies on African microbiomes are typically led by scientists from the global north. While this has helped to reveal fundamental insights, African scientists often play tangential roles and the research is led by researchers in the global north. This needs to change.

In this Comment, we provide a framework for ensuring that collaborations with African Microbiome scientists are more equitable. We provide some essential pillars for implementing this framework including the need to ensure that the research is led by African microbiome scientists.

Read full: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41591-024-03026-2

News date: 2024-07-08

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