Research collaboration and knowledge development in Africa: the case of neonatal conditions

The literature has discussed the positive/negative effects of research collaboration (RC). However, no study looks at the effect of RC especially international research collaboration (IRC) on key developments in a research area. Using Main Path Analysis (MPA), I examined the literature on neonatal conditions (NC) produced by African scientists between 2000 and 2019. I found the (1) estimates of deaths of children under five years and their causes, with a focus on neonates and stillbirths, (2) usefulness of tools to collect data on NC-related variables, (3) identification of interventions to reduce deaths, and (4) treatment of hyperbilirubinemia in African neonates as the most important developments in NC in Africa. The high presence of articles with RC, in the MPA, especially those involving IRC between one or more scientists from a single African country and scientists from several non-African countries (60% of the studies) highlights the positive effect of RC on key developments of an area. About 40% of the articles refer the Saving Newborns Lives programme, the Child Health Epidemiology Reference Group (CHERG) or the departments of the World Health Organization (WHO).