The infrastructure is thus becoming established for the exchange and interchange of information by means of these electronic networks, the majority of them being connected directly or through gateways to the Internet and thus globally. A case is presented that locally generated information is usually most relevant to the solution of problems experienced in the same or surrounding countries. This paper looks at the situation regarding both the 'recognized', i.e. internationally indexed journals, and those that do not receive such recognition. Health and disease are topics of great concern in Africa, today more than ever. Where they do occur, they are treated rapidly, efficiently and speedily.
Modern medicine can cure most of mankind's illnesses today, excepting a few such as cancer or Aids.
But even then, the treatment of patients occurs under hygienic and manageable conditions. This is happening in spite of the efforts of relief agencies, that there are doctors there, that food is being distributed by aid agencies, water purification plants are made available. People die, even in the absence of war and rebellion, simply because of the magnitude of the problem, the absence of reliable, relevant, implementable information covering health care and medical services under dire circumstances such as no hospitals, or ill-equipped ones, no clean water, not enough nutrition, the press of hundreds, sometimes thousands, of ill and starving people. A veritable deluge of scientific data and information. The very basic information, emanating from a make-do approach in one African country that rural doctors, nurses, orderlies even, have to apply is most often what would be most useful under similar circumstances in other African countries.