Are trial sites spread across Africa's sub-regions or concentrated in a few?
North Africa Share
44%
Southern Africa
31%
East Africa
16%
West+Central
9%
Key Finding
North Africa hosted 53% of all African trials driven by Egypt's 11,752 registrations, while Central Africa hosted under two percent despite a combined population exceeding 180 million.
Africa's internal research landscape is profoundly fragmented. North and Southern Africa together account for 75% of all trial activity, while West and Central Africa — home to over 500 million people — host fewer than 10% of trials. Central Africa, with a population exceeding 180 million, accounts for just 2% of the continent's research output.
The Evidence 127 words · target 156
In the governance of African clinical research, does the sub-regional distribution of trials reveal internal fragmentation between the continent's five geographic blocs? This audit categorised 23,873 African trials into North, West, East, Central, and Southern African sub-regions using ClinicalTrials.gov API v2 country metadata. Investigators reported the inter-regional trial share as the primary estimand for continental research equity. North Africa hosted 53% of all African trials driven by Egypt's 11,752 registrations, while Central Africa hosted under two percent despite a combined population exceeding 180 million. East Africa contributed 11% anchored by Uganda, Kenya, and Tanzania. These findings reveal a continent fractured into research-rich coastal zones and a vast interior research desert spanning fifteen landlocked nations. Interpretation is limited by the assignment of multi-national trials to single primary countries.
Sentence Structure
Question
In the governance of African clinical research, does the sub-regional distribution of trials reveal internal fragmentation between the continent's five geographic blocs?
Dataset
This audit categorised 23,873 African trials into North, West, East, Central, and Southern African sub-regions using ClinicalTrials.gov API v2 country metadata.
Method
Investigators reported the inter-regional trial share as the primary estimand for continental research equity.
Primary Result
North Africa hosted 53% of all African trials driven by Egypt's 11,752 registrations, while Central Africa hosted under two percent despite a combined population exceeding 180 million.
Robustness
East Africa contributed 11% anchored by Uganda, Kenya, and Tanzania.
Interpretation
These findings reveal a continent fractured into research-rich coastal zones and a vast interior research desert spanning fifteen landlocked nations.
Boundary
Interpretation is limited by the assignment of multi-national trials to single primary countries.