Library Briefings

Africana online

Two new databases provide information on a range of African subjects

African HealthLine is a new electronic resource that offers access to a unique collection of bibliographic databases on all aspects of African health. The source provides improved access to published and unpublished health information (technical reports, theses, and grey literature) from Africa and around the world. Topics include primary health care, health education, training, planning and management, child health, sexual health and sexuality, HIV/AIDS, respiratory infections, TB, trauma, nutrition, micro-toxins, public health issues, urbanization, health systems, and primary health care needs. Also provided is information related to medicines, therapeutics, and other aspects of medical science.

African HealthLine is an aggregate of 12 databases covering topics in African health and medicine. Included are the African Laboratory for Natural Products Database, African Index Medicus (AIM), Healthlink Worldwide, the Medicines Information Centre Reference Database, Community Health Information Database, AIDS Consortium Resource Centre Database, and the Bibliography of Filariasis. African HealthLine includes coverage back to 1924 and can be accessed through NUcat or Electronic Resources.

The second database is designed to support The New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD), which is a vision and strategic framework for Africa's renewal. Called Africa–Wide: NiPAD (NISC Information, Publications and African Databases), this resource combines two popular databases, South African Studies and African Studies. Content in Africa-Wide comes from 54 institutions in 19 countries across Africa, Europe, and Canada. Topics include agriculture, art, business, health, history, economics, literature, music, politics, religion, transportation, environment, and society.

Africa-Wide provides access to the catalogs and databases of institutions such as:

The Nordic Africa Institute
The School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS)
The National Library of Namibia
The African Academy of Sciences
The International Library of African Music
African Studies Abstracts
Africa Institute Database
Southern African Database
Natural and Cultural Heritage of Africa
Afro-Tropical Bird Information Retrieval Database
Bibliography on Contemporary African Politics and Development
International Library of African Music
Database of Swiss Theses and Dissertation
Africana Books Collective
Africa Book Centre
Index to South African Periodicals
South African National Bibliography
Witwatersrand University Management Research Reports
South African Legal Abbreviations

Africa-Wide will be an indispensable resource for those with an interest in Africa. It can be accessed through NUcat or Electronic Resources.

Esmeralda Kale