National science boards scrutinize many journals and recommend the best to the international indexes. One of the most interesting developments is in the telecommunications field. WHO has formed a consortium with publishers of 223 medical journals, mostly from developing nations. They produce a monthly CD-ROM index called ExtraMED, which consists of over 8000 images of pages from the most recent issues of the publications. Although Internet access could be beneficial in getting Third World research out to the scientific community, the problem still remains of supplying Internet access to areas often untouched by technology.
Internet access is a much harder challenge.
According to Michael Jensen of the International Telecommunication Union, Africans who sign up for telephone service today have 3.6 million others ahead of them. Prices are also expensive for communication services. Three communication companies have proposed circling the continent with an undersea fiber-optic cable which would link every coastal nation to the Internet. Many of the Internet supporters believe that globally connecting nations of color could greatly improve their research output and improve chances for publication. Christopher Zielenski of WHO agrees.