Welcome to AfricArXiv
This initiative showcases UbuntuNet's commitment to fostering knowledge sharing, collaboration, and accessibility within the African research community. With AfricArxiv, researchers across the continent have a dedicated platform to disseminate their findings, making them accessible to a global audience. By facilitating open access to scholarly work, UbuntuNet Alliance plays a pivotal role in advancing the principles of open science, enhancing research visibility, and driving innovation across Africa.
Communities in AfricArxiv
Select a community to browse its collections.
- The general repository is open for individual submissions by researchers, librarians and research administrators.
- Showcase of project activities, presentations, and scholarly contributions curated by the AfricArXiv initiative.
- A Rapid Grant Fund to address research questions and implement science engagement activities associated with COVID-19
- An initiative to support the development of a harmonised quality assurance and accreditation system at institutional, national, regional and Pan-African continental level.
- Facilitating knowledge sharing and collaboration among institutions, researchers, and educators within the Ubuntunet Alliance network.
Recent Submissions
Unlocking open science in Africa: Mentorship and grassroot community building
(IOS Press, 2023-12-15) Kibet, Caleb K.
Open Science is becoming increasingly popular among scientists worldwide, but African researchers have hesitated to adopt it. This keynote speech addresses the current state of open science in Africa and the challenges researchers face in implementing open science practices. As an open science advocate and mentor in Africa, I share my experiences and discuss the role of mentorship and grassroots community building in overcoming these challenges. Various initiatives, such as OpenScienceKE, H3ABioNet, and BHKi, aim to increase awareness, empower members, and encourage collaboration to promote open science, information sharing, resource sharing, and the visibility of African research. It is essential to involve all stakeholders within local communities and empower grassroots communities. Like planning for a mountain climb, providing the necessary support to facilitate success is crucial. The article highlights the importance of inclusivity and support to overcome barriers and challenges to reap the benefits of open science. I show how culture changes towards openness, breaking down barriers, empowerment, allyship, and grassroots community building are pathways to achieve this change.
Antimicrobial resistance: One health approach in Rwanda
(2024-08) Sindayigaya, Patience; Dine, Roseline Dzekem; Ntakirutimana, Augustin; Nkurikiyimfura, Jean de Dieu; Uyisaba, Pascaline
This commentary provides the authors' views related to the Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) profile in Rwanda in terms of prevalence, knowledge, attitudes, practices, and existing interventions at the one health interface.
AMR is a critical and global health concern posing a significant threat to the effective treatment of infections and lead to increased morbidity and mortality. Among few studies that have been conducted on AMR in Rwanda, the issue was found to be widespread in both human and animals. A high resistance has been found among the commonly used antibiotics seconded by the lack of knowledge and appropriate practices among different groups of people. Some interventions, including “one health” approach are in place aiming to address these issues, but challenges are still around due to developing surveillance system, limited studies, and low public awareness. Extensive studies and enhance surveillance are recommended to better understand AMR to inform the public and policy makers for effectively tackling of the AMR issue, particularly in rural areas.
Data availability statement: Data sharing does not apply to this article as no new data were created or analyzed in this study.
Primary Healthcare System Strengthening in Nigeria: A means to achieve Universal Health Coverage
(2024-08) Sokolabe, Yisa Sarah; Ogunniyi, Tolulope
According to the WHO, more than 1 billion individuals globally risk becoming impoverished because their household's out-of-pocket medical expenses account for 10% or more of their income. A shift in health systems towards primary health care (PHC) as a means to achieving universal health coverage (UHC) in low- and middle-income nations is important in preventing 60 million deaths and adding 3.7 years to the average life expectancy. Nigeria, ranked 187th among 191 countries in the WHO health system performance ranking, faces challenges with PHC owing to inadequate health infrastructure, a shortage of healthcare professionals, and weak health systems, impeding its progress toward achieving UHC. In achieving UHC, the country started prioritizing the revitalization of PHC through collaboration, making great strides in improving PHC, with hundreds of facilities being renovated and more healthcare professionals being hired and trained. Recently, almost 10 million children have received diphtheria and tetanus vaccines in Nigeria, and 4.95 million girls aged 9 to 14 in 15 states have received HPV vaccinations to protect them from cervical cancer. To better achieve UHC, Nigeria need to seek for more collaboration from the private sector and also, the brain drain of healthcare workers should be addressed by providing a sustainable working environment.
Data availability statement: Data sharing is not applicable to this article as no new data were created or analyzed in this study.
Fair pay and Ride-hailing Drivers' Willingness to form and join Worker-Platform Co-operatives in Kenya
(2024-09-08) Matabi, Jared Mark O.; Gicheru, Esther Njoki; Kiganane, Lucy Maina
Kenya's increasing dependency on ride-hailing platforms (the 'uberization') has not translated into drivers’ improved quality of life. E-drivers in the country still face several challenges similar to those faced elsewhere in the world. Among these challenges is the unfair pay distribution. It is essential to understand how such challenges can be mitigated or addressed. Previous studies have recommended that e-drivers in the country should form worker-platform co-operatives. The study was undertaken to estimate the extent to which the fairwork principles, including fair pay, would trigger e-drivers’ willingness to form and join worker-platform co-operatives. We applied critical-realism research philosophy and the discrete choice experiment design. Data was primarily collected through a discrete choice questionnaire administered to participants in person and online. The study respondents of 497 out of the 600 questionnaires from the Nairobi Metropolitan Region –Nairobi City, Kiambu, Machakos and Kajiado Counties – were used and analysed using the multinomial logistic regression on Jamovi version 2.5.6.0 statistical software. The study shows that pay rates have significant implications for the behaviour of e-drivers in the ride-hailing industry. We found that e-drivers’ willingness to form and join worker-platform co-operatives would be influenced by their dissatisfaction with the investor-owned firms’ compliance with the fairwork principle of pay. This suggests that e-drivers are more inclined towards co-operative (social representation and collective action) structures when they are dissatisfied with pay rates offered by the existing ride-hailing investor-owned firms. This indicates e-drivers' desire for the co-operative values of solidarity, equality, and equity and the third co-operative principle on members’ economic participation in the ride-hailing industry. These findings underscore the importance of the stakeholders in the Ministries of Transport, Labour, Internal Security, and Co-operative Development in advocating for and enforcing fairwork principles in the ride-hailing industry by promoting worker-platform co-operatives in the country.
Response to Health Crises in Africa: Insight From Executing a 2-Year Project in Nigeria
(2024-08-24) Muhammad, Aliyu; Ibrahim, Mohammed Auwal; Okoli, Peter Chukwunonso; Sogbanmu, Temitope; Ehilen, Oseghale Emmanuel; Isah, Murtala; Mohammed, Isah Yakub; Animasaun, Isaac Lare; Anjorin, AbdulAzeez; Kenechukwu, Franklin; Ibrahim, Mutiat Bolanle; Ibor, Oju Richard; Adesiyan, Ibukun Modupe; Umeyor, Chukwuebuka Emmanuel; Garba, Zaharaddeen Nasiru; Anyanwu, Gabriel; Ifeanyi-obi, Chinwoke Clara; Adeyemi, Kayode Abiodun
Science advice aids in integrating scientific evidence into policymaking. In Africa, a significant gap exists between science and policy, necessitating high-quality advisory services. The Multifaceted Response Development from Research on COVID-19 in Africa (MURDER COVID-19) project by the Nigerian Young Academy (May 2021–April 2023) aimed to bridge this gap. Project outputs included eight policy briefs, 10 webinars, a hybrid international conference, and a searchable research equipment database. The project effectively dispelled COVID-19 myths, promoted vaccine confidence, and highlighted the need to strengthen health systems and research capacity. The project provides valuable lessons/recommendations and serves as a model for collaborative initiatives addressing health crises and enhancing research capacity.