CARDIOVASCULAR JOURNAL OF AFRICA • Vol 23, No 1, February 2012
4
AFRICA
Editorial
The
Cardiovascular Journal of Africa
(CVJA) is increasingly
gaining recognition as a medical science journal of standing. It
is widely distributed and indexed, with at least 3 000 full-text
articles downloaded a month via PubMed alone. This is apart
from South African and African tertiary institutions, which have
access to full-text capabilities on the SABINET system.
The CVJA is now an important source of information in
Africa on diseases related to the cardiovascular system. It also
presents significant advances worldwide in heart disease and
related technology.
It is envisaged that 10 issues of CVJA will be published in
2012; essentially a 40% expansion in journal content. This is in
response to the increase in numbers of submitted and accepted
manuscripts, despite the relatively high rejection rate of 50%.
This will significantly shorten the time between acceptance of
articles and publication.
The main obstacle to the journal’s further development is
adequate funding, outside of advertising revenue. Government
will be approached, possibly through the MRC, as well as
international philanthropic organisations such as the Bill Gates
Foundation and the Qatar Sovereign Fund. Sponsorships are
constantly being sought.
Funding for medical research in South Africa and Africa is
raised in a number of ways, such as from governments, inter-
national philanthropic and research organisations, sponsorship
from private enterprises, societies’ membership subscriptions,
campaigns to collect money from the public for heart and cancer
research, and individual bequests. Whatever the amounts raised
they always seem insufficient to meet the demand.
Medical research is of little value if it is not published and
made available to the global community. Unpublished medial
research is a waste of money, time and effort. More support is
therefore needed for journal publications.
Payment to process manuscripts is now required by many
journals. The CVJA has recently introduced a modest processing
fee of $50 per article. In order to obtain additional funding, the
journal also provides an up-to-date news section for clinicians,
including conference coverage and interviews with medical
experts. Additional charges for advance online publication on
PubMed are now an accepted feature, which works well for those
authors requiring speedy publication of results.
The splintering of medical disciplines into minor groups is
a complicating factor for the publication of relevant medical
research. Each group produces a journal for its internal commu-
nication and consequently, many more ‘overnight’ or ‘passing-
through journals’ come to life. ‘Birth control’ may need to be
practiced by the various disciplines and all will have to consider
consolidating and working together.
Good-quality research published in the CVJA is now recog-
nised, with the introduction of the Andries Brink-Kaye Award.
In 2010 this award was presented to Andrea de Kock of
Potchefstroom University for her article ‘Coping and meta-
bolic syndrome indicators in urban black South African men:
the SABPA study’ in
Cardiovasc J Afr
2010;
21
(5): 268–273.
This concept of coping with stress has not to our knowledge been
studied before in African men. The award for 2011 is now under
consideration by the CVJA evaluating panel.
There is little doubt that the CVJA has filled a need and has
a promising future. We will be celebrating 25 years of publish-
ing cardiovascular research in Africa in 2014, which is only 24
months away. As part of our strategy, we are planning an African
celebratory issue. Relevant ideas from our readers and other
stakeholders would be appreciated.
AJ Brink
Editor-in-Chief
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