title: Collaboration is key to strengthening surgical research capacity in sub-Saharan Africa.
abstract: The paucity of research in areas of greatest clinical need must be addressed urgently. We propose a model of collaboration in an era of information systems and emerging mobile health technology that has had significant success across the UK and has shown early encouraging results in South Africa (SA). We foresee that recent examples of surgical research collaboratives in SA will continue to promote regional, national and international 'hub-and-spoke' models and ultimately increase the South-South collaboration that is urgently needed to diffuse the skills and knowledge required to address the unmet surgical need in sub-Saharan Africa.
authors.affiliation: Codman Center, Department of General Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, USA; Department of Surgery, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, South Africa. spnric004@myuct.ac.za.
authors.forename: Richard Trafford
authors.initials: RT
authors.lastname: Spence
authors.forename: Eugenio
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Panieri
authors.forename: Sarah L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Rayne
authors.forename: Ewen Munro
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Harrison
authors.forename: Aneel Amir
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Bhangu
authors.forename: James Edward
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Fitzgerald
mesh_terms: D017954:Africa South of the Sahara; D035843:Biomedical Research / Q000379:methods / Q000458:organization & administration; D020811:Biomedical Technology; D003299:Cooperative Behavior; D013502:General Surgery; D006801:Humans; D007255:Information Services; D017146:Models, Organizational; D020380:Needs Assessment