Lack of Science Capacity "Threatens Africa's Development"

"The "remarkable recent economic growth" in many African countries may be able to sustain science through domestic funding (rather than through external sources) — but a lack of scientists and research capacity is threatening to reel back that economic growth, a meeting has heard.

The gross domestic product (GDP) of many African countries has been growing at a rate of 6–8 per cent each year, amounting to almost doubling of GDPs every decade.

But unlike in China, South Asia and South-East Asia, where there was a surplus of scientists, engineers, doctors and teachers trained at the early stages of countries' development, in most African countries there are up to 1,000 times fewer scientists than in Asian countries in the equivalent state of development.

The new funding initiative, totalling US$24 million, will work towards meeting that goal by funding the establishment of 30 research consortia, with top grants exceeding £1 million (US$1.6 million) over a five-year period.

Whitty admitted that capacity building is very difficult as practitioners still do not know what works and what does not. Furthermore, he reiterated, capacity building has to be long-term, as the time it takes for a primary school child to develop into an active adult researcher takes decades. It would also require a multi-disciplinary approach, he said.

A 40 per cent fall in child mortality rates over the past decade was an "astonishing achievement," backed up by strong science and infrastructure improvements.

"By the end of this century a third of the world's population will be African and living in Africa," he said. "Science is critical for Africa — [and] for the rest of the world."

Shem Arungu-Olende, secretary-general of the African Academy of Sciences, said: "Africa's development has been lagging behind the rest of the world because of, among other things, inadequate science and technological activities, including research and development".

"The situation has been worsened by the lure of talented African scientists to better, more lucrative positions and institutions overseas."

Arungu-Olende highlighted the importance and timeliness of the new capacity building initiative for Africa, but said the sustainability of the initiative beyond the five-year grant was "critically important"."

Source: (http://www.scidev.net/en/sub-suharan-africa/news/lack-of-science-capacity-threatens-africa-s-development-.html)