Learning from low income countries: what are the lessons?: Sources of information should focus on developing countries

doi:10.1136/bmj.329.7475.1186-b

BMJ 2004;329:1186 (13 November), doi:10.1136/bmj.329.7475.1186-b

Letter

Learning from low income countries: what are the lessons?

Sources of information should focus on developing countries

The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below.

EDITOR—Both the BMJ and the Lancet claim to be globallyrelevant.^1
2 We tested this assertion and assessed the opportunitiesfor readers of these journals in developed countries to learnfrom research from the developing world.

We abstracted research articles from the BMJ ("papers" and "primarycare" sections) and the Lancet ("articles") from 1 March 2003to 28 February 2004. We assessed each article independentlyas relevant or not relevant to developing countries, and asproviding or not providing an opportunity for health professionalsworking in the UK health system to learn from experience fromdeveloping countries.

We found that 75 of 292 (25%) and 50 of 163 (31%) papers inthe BMJ and the Lancet respectively were relevant to developingcountries, largely in the fields of tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS,and severe acute respiratory syndrome. Only 14 (5%) and 19 (12%),respectively, provided an opportunity for health professionalsworking in . . . [Full text of this article]

James N Newell, senior lecturer

Nuffield Institute for Health, Leeds LS2 9PL J.N.Newell@leeds.ac.uk

Andrew S Furber, clinical lecturer in public health

School for Health and Related Research, University of Sheffield, Sheffield S1 4DA