Plasmodium falciparum Research in Africa from 2000 to 2024: A Systematic Review and Bibliometric Visualisation

Abstract

Plasmodium falciparum is the major cause of malaria in Africa, responsible for high morbidity and mortality across the continent. This study presents a systematic literature review and bibliometric analysis of P. falciparum research conducted in Africa between 2000 and 2024 as shown in Figure 1. Using the PRISMA framework, 10,903 peer-reviewed articles were retrieved from the Scopus database. Bibliometric analysis was performed using Bibliometrix in R and VOSviewer to assess publication trends, authorship networks, keyword evolution, and thematic concentration. Results reveal contributions from 18,345 authors across 4,903 journals, with an average of 31.83 citations per article. Research output has grown steadily over the two-decade period, with significant input from African scholars and international collaborators. The most active research themes include epidemiology, antimalarial drug resistance, vaccine development, vector biology, and socio-economic factors in malaria control. Despite this progress, the review highlights persistent gaps in genomic surveillance, localised insecticide resistance monitoring, and integration of social determinants into malaria intervention strategies. Regional disparities in research output remain, with some high-burden areas underrepresented. Collaboration among African institutions is limited compared to international partnerships. These observations indicate the urgent need for targeted funding, strengthened intra-African collaboration, and policies that contextualise malaria research within local health systems. Addressing these gaps is essential for speeding the continents malaria elimination agenda. O_FIG O_LINKSMALLFIG WIDTH=200 HEIGHT=95 SRC="FIGDIR/small/681826v1_fig1.gif" ALT="Figure 1"> View larger version (26K): org.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@1554b4aorg.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@c21204org.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@12cc70corg.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@c016ab_HPS_FORMAT_FIGEXP M_FIG O_FLOATNOFigure 1:C_FLOATNO Flow chart of Methodology using PRISMA method. C_FIG O_FIG O_LINKSMALLFIG WIDTH=200 HEIGHT=123 SRC="FIGDIR/small/681826v1_ufig1.gif" ALT="Figure 1"> View larger version (52K): org.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@11056c9org.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@1b1cfb3org.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@baf4b7org.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@18304b_HPS_FORMAT_FIGEXP M_FIG Graphical representation and summary of trends in Plasmodium falciparum in Africa. C_FIG