Open access (OA) publisher BioMed Central, UK, has announced a partnership with Computer Aid International to support research in Africa. BioMed will support Kenyatta University in Nairobi to help local scientists conduct vital research directly relevant to local problems in one of the poorest parts of Africa. Many of the university's academics have been published in OA journals, including those from BioMed Central. The move is part of the publisher's ongoing commitment to promote OA in the developing world.
According to BioMed, Kenyatta cannot afford new computers, meaning that academics cannot get the access time that they need for researching and preparing papers. Computer Aid International will provide affordable, professionally refurbished PCs to the developing world, to resolve this problem. BioMed aims to raise £10,760 in order to provide a container of 225 PCs to the university. This is projected to give all research departments their own dedicated suite of computers and guarantee that the university's 720 research staff gets adequate IT access.
Computer Aid International has been working with Kenyatta for several years. The university's research staff is focused on areas that are directly relevant to surrounding communities in Kenya and East Africa, including local diseases such as tuberculosis, HIV/Aids and malaria. Contribution to the project can be made at http://www.justgiving.com/biomedcentral. Donors will be informed about how their money is spent and updated on the progress of the project.
