Mapping research growth and citation trends of scholarly works on health information literacy in Africa: A bibliometric analysis

Over the past decade, the output of global research on health information literacy (HIL) has grown exponentially. This growth was revealed via bibliometric analysis. Most bibliometric studies examining the growth and trends of HIL publications have been conducted in the European Union and the United States. In contrast, very few studies of this nature have been conducted in Africa. This study aimed to map the scholarly output of HIL produced by African scholars. The Dimensions database was the primary data source for collecting research outputs between 2003 and 2024. The researchers screened the harvested articles before importing them into Microsoft Excel for analysis and tabulation and then used OriginPro and VOSviewer to generate network visualisation maps. The results indicate a significant increase in publications and citation trends. However, there are variations in research performance and citation impact among countries, with South African institutions leading in research productivity, followed by those in Uganda and Ghana. Therefore, consistent growth in scholarly publications, collaborative authorship patterns and increased citation trends underscore African scholars’ critical role in advancing HIL as a vital component of public health, education and sustainable development in Africa.