African scientists need to lead microbiome research on the continentCredit: Coolpicture/ Moment/ Getty Images
African scientists are calling for local scientists to lead microbiome research on the continent, advocating for collaborations that truly represent the continent's diverse populations.
In a comment published in Nature Medicine1, researchers, led by Ovokeraye H. Oduaran from the Sydney Brenner Institute at the University of the Witwatersrand, argue that African leadership will enhance scientific accuracy and also ensure that the benefits of research are fairly distributed.
Thulani Makhalanyane, Professor of Microbiology and The School for Data Science and Computational Thinking at Stellenbosch University, points out that there is an increasing body of research showing the profound role of the microbiome in health and disease, but these have been largely led by researchers from the global north, and few have assessed the role of microbiomes in African human health and disease.
“As African researchers, we need to ensure that we’re not only invited to the table but that we lead microbiome research on African people and ecosystems,” he said.
According to Makhalanyane, the dearth of African participation can lead to inaccurate reports because the researchers lack the requisite contextual knowledge to interpret their findings and patterns.
“African intellectual participation would not only lead to more robust data interpretation but would contribute towards more ethical and equitable partnerships,” he said.
The authors also call for increased government involvement in supporting research through policy development, funding, and creating a conducive regulatory environment.
“We realise that collaboration is key to elucidating the very diverse African microbiomes. Knowing that these partnerships have been taking place and will continue to form and evolve, it makes sense for an implementable framework to be in place to build capacity as much as is reasonably possible and share knowledge equitabily,” Oduaran said.
