The interim MAPIS – Mapping Health Science Research in the PALOPs report updates the survey of the health science ongoing in these countries between 2021-2023 as well as the networks and partnerships established and the key financing actors. Carried out by Tiago Santos Pereira, from the Centre of Social Studies at the University of Coimbra, this report is furthermore an update of an earlier study that covered the period between 2008 and 2020.

This new period has continued to witness progress in developing research in the health science field, the key focus of the study, as well as the rise in the number of articles published by PALOP scientists as lead authors, in which the Foundation made a relevant contribution to the results obtained. The effects of the pandemic were still experienced in the period under analysis, resulting in delays to publication processes as well as a certain refocusing on scientific areas interlinked with the pandemic.

MAPIS was presented by Tiago Santos Pereira in a webinar that also included reflections provided by PALOP researchers Esperança Sevene (Mozambique), Euclides Sacomboio (Angola) and Pâmela Borges (Cape Verde).

Esperança Sevene highlighted the importance of collaboration, which should begin with the countries themselves in order to obtain greater scientific and research autonomy. This scientist also defended the mentoring of Master’s and Doctoral Degree students. Esperança Sevene stated her belief that the scientific autonomy, which was already verifiable in Mozambique and with collaboration ongoing with partners outside of the PALOPs, might be boosted among these countries and that initiatives such as MAPIS might enable the building of connections between research groups and the sharing of opportunities and contacts.

In turn, the Cape Verdean researcher Pâmela Borges classed the rise in scientific production led by PALOPs researchers as very positive. However, she also warned of the need to support application processes. “In Cape Verde, we need support for the pre-award mechanisms of international tender calls. There is a need to set up support services. We are still at the beginning and increasing our competitiveness is fundamental.”

The importance of local financing to respond to research needs was an aspect highlighted both by Pâmela Borges and by the Angolan researcher Euclides Sacomboio. “It was important to participate on this panel because researchers got heard. The financing entities might thus find strategies to reach research groups. We frequently work on areas for which there is financing and not on the areas where research is needed.” According to Euclides Sacomboio, “this study reflects very well just which institutions are committed to supporting scientific research” and added that the “enormous” demands of the major financing agencies “very often limit the researchers able to submit applications to the calls”.

The objective of the interim MAPIS report is to monitor the trends in the research undertaken in the Health Sciences in the PALOPs, furthermore contributing to raising its visibility, identifying the actions of the key financers of researchers in health sciences and corresponding to thematic areas of intervention, thereby seeking to contributing to raising the visibility of the research carried out as well as supporting the various decision-makers in this field at both the national and international levels. According to UNESCO, “promoting research in Africa is investing in local knowledge to deal with global challenges, strengthening scientific progress to the benefit of all of humanity.”