The Role of Open Science in Facilitating an Effective African Response to COVID-19

Abstract

The international publishing landscape is currently undergoing a drastic shift towards Open Science practices and COVID-19 related research activities are all being made openly accessible for a rapid community driven research and assessment effort (Akligoh et al. 2020; JOGL COVID19 project1, Open Letter: Contact Tracking and NHSX2). In an opinion piece for Financial Times3, Ethiopian Prime Minister and 2019 Nobel Peace Prize laureate Abiy Ahmed shed a spotlight on the importance of concerted global efforts to fight the pandemic summarizing: “[I]f the virus is not defeated in Africa, it will only bounce back to the rest of the world”. The economic and political dimensions which Ahmed focuses on must be grounded in sound scientific research - locally unique, while globally connected. Opening research in developed economies will thus not be enough, we must in addition support, enhance and connect existing pockets of expertise in Open Science on the African continent.