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By Augustine Ankomah, Ph.D.
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Copyright © Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System.
Courtesy of Africa
Focus. |
Introduction
Good quality research is a key tool for identifying sexual health problems and their causes and demonstrating their importance to the promotion of sexual health and well-being. It also assists in formulating solutions and evaluating progress of sexual health interventions. Sexual health research demands for interdisciplinary and integrated research.
In West Africa, responding to this requirement poses great challenges to current research efforts both within and outside universities.
Issues in West Africa
In the region, as elsewhere in Africa, the force of social change resulting from formal education, increasing urbanization, and the increasing cost of living, among others, has blended to produce changes in socio-sexual culture. For example, in Ghana, Nigeria and several parts of West Africa, it is clear that even in some of the societies where premarital sex was not formerly permitted, it is now considered normal (Ankomah, 1998). In some societies in these countries, premarital multiple sexual partnering, serial monogamy as well as partner switching is fairly common.
Gaps in sexual health research
While the quantity and quality of sexual health research in the West African region has improved in recent years, there are still several gaps. A few are highlighted here:
- Research output on violence against women has been very general. Community- and health facility-based research as well as behavioural research on violence including longitudinal studies on the consequences of sexual violence, and the vulnerability of adolescents to sexual abuse are sorely needed.
- The sexual rights of adolescents in West Africa is a poorly researched area. Further research is required to gather information on sexual and reproductive rights, and explore the barriers that young persons face making choices given the prevalence of transactional sex, sexual coercion and exploitation of young women.
- Detailed information on gender roles and life skills (in contrast to knowledge) to negotiate good sexual health outcomes among teenagers including married adolescents is lacking.
- STI seeking behaviour and treatment of young persons is an area with limited research evidence.
- Today there are internationally accepted definitions of some indicators in sexual health, but there is an urgent need for further research on the identification of some indicators given their importance in the sub-region. These include indicators measuring violence against women and transactional sex.
Capacity building needs
The capacity of academic and research institutions in West Africa to respond to research needs in sexual health is very limited. Research conducted locally by local people is more likely to be more timely and cost-effective in addressing local problems than is research conducted by researchers unfamiliar with the region and its context.
Lack of resources
While this may be true of other parts of Africa, the lack of funds and other resources necessary for research and research training is a most obvious constraint to building research capacity in West Africa. Equipment used in sexual health research and training are either lacking or in poor condition. Infrastructure and services such as electricity and maintenance are poor. Access to sexual health information and networks through libraries and electronic communication is very difficult.
Status of sexual health research
Again, while this may not be limited only to the region, it is particularly pronounced. There is a particularly weak social and political status attached to sexual health research in the region. Local research results achieved are often not perceived as contributions to development.
Low recognition of researchers
At the individual level, Nigeria and Ghana have international level sexual health researchers. The weak economic situation in the region, which expresses itself, among others, in low salary levels forces researchers to do short-term, demand driven consultancy work. It is sad but true that increasingly, researchers from West Africa (and not infrequently their collaborators from the North) are motivated to conduct sexual health research not mainly with the desire to make their knowledge useful in a development context but with expectation of personal benefit.
Behaviour of donor agencies
Donor funding of sexual health research is often unreliable and adapted to the needs of recipient countries. Donors grant several fellowships in sexual and reproductive health research every year especially in Ghana and Nigeria. However, most are not linked to any research programmes.
Most of the emphasis on sexual health research capacity is unfortunately limited to scholarships and travel with intensive monitoring during the period, compared with lack of donor monitoring or even interest after the training.
Way Forward
Capacity building relies on three key areas: augmenting the number of researchers in sexual health; strongly supporting research-related institutions and organisations, and enhancing the quality of sexual health research in both its basic and applied dimensions.
Assistance from the North
Local research capacity, even within strong and credible research institutions must have national support. Without the support of local and national programmers, outside funding cannot be effective in developing sustained leadership for the solution of sexual health problems. National investments are needed, particularly in Nigeria, in research infrastructure and in systems of higher education in order to maintain a pool of incoming talents.
Institutionalise research
Sexual health research has so far been restricted in the main to university-based individuals. Linkage between universities, NGOs and other non-university institutions needs to be seen to be working towards a common goal. Research on sexual health promotion is not aptly institutionalized. At the moment, there are no structured courses in sexual health, although a few health-oriented graduate programmes do undertake certain aspects of sexual health in the course of their training.
Sustainable capacity building
By definition, capacity building involves sustainability, not only in the individual skills and capabilities, but also in its translation into organisational capacity. In Nigeria, in particular, most of the support is bound to individual capacity building and is hence of limited sustainable character in terms of institution building. Financial support can help research institutions in West Africa to maintain their activities and formulate their own research agenda.
User-friendly research
The cost of disseminating sexual health information is huge in West
Africa, especially in Nigeria, because of its size. Sexual health researchers stand to gain more from sharing their results. Although this may be changing, health correspondents in national newspapers are often not well-trained and only a handful understand sexual health research. Stakeholders may need to train journalists with key national newspapers.
Conclusion
West Africa has a pool of researchers in sexual health. Harsh economic conditions in addition to other infrastructural and institutional impediments have limited the pace of effective capacity building of other researchers in sexual health. Capacity of researchers in the field may be enhanced, among others, through the establishment of networks, presenting research findings in friendly and usable manner, and motivating governments, programmers and the business community to use research.
References
Ankomah, A. (1998). Condom use in sexual exchange relationships among young single adults in Ghana.
AIDS Education and Prevention, 10(4), 303-316.
Barker, G.N. and Rich, S. (1992) Influences on adolescent sexuality in Nigeria and Kenya: Studies from recent focus group discussions.
Studies in Family Planning, 23 (199-210).
Bleek, W (1976) Sexual Relationships and Birth Control in Ghana: A Case Study of a Rural
Town. Centre for Social Anthropology, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam.
Caldwell, J.C., and Caldwell, P. and Quiggin, P. ( 1989) The social context of AIDS in sub-Saharan Africa.
Population and Development Review 15(2) 185-233.
Mair, M.A. (1953) African marriage and social change. In: Arthur, P. (ed).
Survey of African Marriage and Family Life. Oxford University Press, London; pg 1-71.
Omorodion, F.I. (1993). Sexual networking among market women in Benin City, Bendel State, Nigeria.
Health Transition Review, 3 (Suppl.), 159-169.
Orubuloye, J.O., Caldwell, J.C., and Caldwell, P. (1991) Sexual Networking in Ekiti District of Nigeria.
Studies in Family Planning, 22 (61-73).
Schoepf, B.G. (1991) Ethical, methodological and political issues on AIDS research in central Africa.
Social Science & Medicine 33(7): 749-763).
* Augustine Ankomah is with the Society for Family Health, Nigeria.
Excerpts from a paper presented at Africa Regional Sexuality
Resource Centre Seminar in Johannesburg, South Africa.
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