Examining the barriers and challenges impeding scientific research in COSECSA member countries

Abstract

The College of Surgeons of East, Central and Southern Africa (COSECSA) has gained recognition for providing professional surgical training in the region and beyond. Despite COSECSA’s growth over the past 10 years in terms of membership and international collaboration, scientific research output and capacity remain limited in the region. This has resulted from various challenges—institutional, systemic, and otherwise—which may be common among COSECSA member countries. This article explores the various challenges affecting scientific research in a few COSECSA member countries.

This exploration was informed by the authors’ personal and professional experiences, published literature, and a simple survey of surgical departmental staff in 3 COSECSA member countries. A semistructured questionnaire addressing a number of pertinent areas was developed and used as a tool to assess knowledge, attitudes, practice, capacity, funding, and motivation levels. The questionnaire was randomly administered to different surgical health workers in selected teaching institutions in Rwanda, Uganda, and Kenya.

Several challenges and barriers to research, including limited knowledge, lack of capacity to conduct high-quality research, limited funding, lack of institutional collaboration, and low motivation were pointed out by the respondents.

We propose some feasible solutions to these challenges. They are by no means exhaustive but serve to contribute to the dialogue around research capacity building in the COSECSA region.