Onyancha, OB; Ocholla, DN, Is HIV/AIDS in Africa distinct? What can we learn from an analysis of the literature? (Article, English),PROCEEDINGS OF ISSI 2007: 11TH INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE OF THE ISSI, VOLS I AND II. 2007. p.100-111

[Eugene Garfield]

Email: b_onyancha at yahoo.com

Author(s): Onyancha, OB (Onyancha, Omwoyo Bosire); Ocholla, DN (Ocholla, 
Dennis N.) 

Title: Is HIV/AIDS in Africa distinct? What can we learn from an analysis 
of the literature? 

Editor(s): TorresSalinas, D; Moed, HF 

Source: PROCEEDINGS OF ISSI 2007: 11TH INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE OF THE 
INTERNATIONAL SOCIETY FOR SCIENTOMETRICS AND INFORMETRICS, VOLS I AND II 
100-111, 2007

Cited Reference Count: 30 
 
Language: English 
Document Type: Article 

Conference Title: 11th International Conference of the International-
Society-for-Scientrometrics-and-Informetrics
 
Conference Date: JUN 25-27, 2007 

Conference Location: Madrid, SPAIN 

Conference Sponsors: Int Soc Scientrometr & Informetr, CSIC, Minist Educ & 
Ciencia, FECYT, Comunidad Madrid, Eugene Garfield Fdn, Thomson Sci, 
Elsevier, Journal Informetr, Scopus, Ayuntamiento Madrid, Sci Metrix, Univ 
Carlos III Madrid 

Author Keywords: AIDS; Africa 

KeyWords Plus: CO-WORD ANALYSIS; SCIENCE 

Abstract: This paper investigates the notion held by several people that 
HIV/AIDS in Africa is unique by use of the published literature. Using co-
word and factor analyses of MEDLINE-extracted HIV/AIDS records, this study 
used five lists of terms to investigate the related-ness of various 
factors and diseases to HIV/AIDS. The lists consisted of risk factors, 
sexually transmitted diseases, tropical diseases, opportunistic diseases, 
and predisposing factors. Data (i.e. words.txt - consisting of 
keywords/phrases describing the aforementioned factors and diseases; and 
text.txt - containing HIV/AIDS papers' titles) were analyzed using TI 
computer-aided application software, developed by Prof. Loet Leydesdorff. 
Results revealed that several factors and diseases that are pre-dominant 
in Sub-Saharan Africa exhibited strong and high pattern of co-occurrences 
with HIV/AIDS, implying close associated-ness with the epidemic in the 
region. Further areas of research, whose results will be used to make 
conclusive observations and arguments concerning the uniqueness of 
HIV/AIDS in Sub-Saharan Africa, are recommended. 

Addresses: Univ Eastern Africa, Eldoret, Kenya. 


Publisher Name: INT SOC SCIENTOMETRICS & INFORMETRICS-ISSI 
Publisher Address: KATHOLIEKE UNIV LEUVEN, FACULTEIT E T E W, DEKENSTRAAT 
2, LEUVEN, B-3000, BELGIUM 

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