International Health
Volume 8 Issue 3 May 2016
http://inthealth.oxfordjournals.org/content/current

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EDITORIAL
Africa in transition: the case of malaria
Kevin Marsh
Extract
Int. Health (2016) 8 (3): 155-156 doi:10.1093/inthealth/ihw022
In 2000, the Economist carried an infamous cover describing Africa as ‘the hopeless continent’. In 2013 this was replaced with one designating Africa ‘the hopeful continent’. The idea of ‘Africa rising’ is in the air and although this is a hotly debated area, no one doubts that Africa is in a period of dramatic transition. Most African economies are growing at around 5% per annum; the current GDP of Africa of around $2.4 trillion is expected to rise more than tenfold by 2050, when its population is predicted to be above 2 billion, with 60% living in urban areas. These changes will be paralleled by equally dramatic changes in health, a process which is already well underway. Much has been written about the dual challenges of persisting infectious diseases at the same time as an increasing burden of non-communicable diseases. Tackling these challenges will call for a major investment in research and here there are exciting transitions too. The launch by the African Academy of Sciences (ASS), in-partnership with NEPAD and a group of international partners, of the Alliance for Accelerating Excellence in Science in Africa (AESA) (http://aasciences.ac.ke/programmes/easa/alliance-for-accelerating-excellence-in-science-in-africa-aesa/) marks a genuine shift in the centre of gravity for health research in Africa. One particularly welcome manifestation of this …