(MENAFN- Muscat Daily) Oman has contributed 2,107 medical research papers between 1996 and 2012 and has been ranked 74th worldwide and ninth among Arab nations, The Lancet revealed.
However, it is lagging behind its GCC counterparts like Saudi Arabia (41), Kuwait (60) and UAE (62). In GCC, only Qatar (82) and Bahrain (91) contributed fewer papers than Oman.
The study published in the December edition of The Lancet, said that institutions from 22 Arab countries contributed only 76,417 medical research papers between 1996 and 2012, which is just four per cent of the medical research papers contributed by US-based institutions (1,875,195).
The study, titled Improving medical research in the Arab world - revealed that a total of 2,170,607 research papers have been contributed worldwide between 1996 and 2012. Of these, the US alone has contributed 1,875,195, followed by Turkey with 120,954, Israel 59,894, Iran 38,147 and Arab Nations 76,417 (Algeria, Bahrain, Comoros, Djibouti, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco, Oman, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, UAE and Yemen).
In an e-mailed reply to Muscat Daily, one of the researchers of this study, Dr Mohammed el Azami el Idrissi, assistant professor of immunology, Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy,
Sidi Mohamed Ben Abdellah University and Hassan II University Hospital of Fez, Morocco said, ''The aim of our study was to show the exact medical research ranking (with numbers) of our Arab Nations amongst all countries. This was, in order to bring the attention of all stakeholders (Arab scientists and decision makers) to the bitter fact that Arab nations lag behind in research output. We have all the assets and resources to get better rankings.''
The study revealed that the combined research paper contribution from Arab countries is around 63 per cent of Turkey and double that of Iran.
The Lancet said that medical research in Arab countries needs serious efforts and several strategic goals must be agreed on by all stakeholders - scientists and decision makers. The strategy should include upgrading research infrastructure and equipment, providing sufficient funds and high-quality training, as well as promoting excellence. Additionally, Arab scientists working abroad should be seen as an asset.
Citing an example it said, ‘China has already shown the way by recruiting qualified Chinese academics, mainly from the US, so that by 2018, China's research output will be growing by 330 per cent, according to forecast.'
The Lancet also said that Sultan Qaboos University ranks 2,721 worldwide and 183 among the Arab region for institutions specialising in medical research.
According to The Lancet, Arab nations medical research output and broad impact are weak according to the 2013 SCImago Institutions Rankings report (of the 2,740 universities and research institutions worldwide, only 60 were from Arab countries), which echoes the SCImago Journal and country rank (1996-2012) and the 2013 Shanghai Ranking.
'We believe that an Arab medical research council - inspired by the US National Institutes of Health, the Medical Research Council in the UK, and INSERM in France - is necessary to establish strategies that promote medical and health research in the Arab world in collaboration with international institutions.'
Historically pioneers in several scientific domains, Arab scientists have an obligation to initiate a scientific Arab spring to promote medical research and subsequently participate in the development of their nations,' the report stated.
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