Strengthening Mentoring in Low- and Middle-Income Countries to Advance Global Health Research: An Overview

Lescano, Andres G and Cohen, Craig R and Raj, Tony and Rispel, Laetitia and Garcia, Patricia J and Zunt, Joseph R and Hamer, Davidson H and Heimburger, Douglas C and Chi, Benjamin H and Ko, Albert I and Bukusi, Elizabeth A

Mentoring is a proven path to scientific progress, but it is not a common practice in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Existing mentoring approaches and guidelines are geared toward high-income country settings, without considering in detail the differences in resources, culture, and structure of research systems of LMICs. To address this gap, we conducted five Mentoring-the-Mentor workshops in Africa, South America, and Asia, which aimed at strengthening the capacity for evidence-based, LMIC-specific institutional mentoring programs globally. The outcomes of the workshops and two follow-up working meetings are presented in this special edition of the . Seven articles offer recommendations on how to tailor mentoring to the context and culture of LMICs, and provide guidance on how to implement mentoring programs. This introductory article provides both a prelude and executive summary to the seven articles, describing the motivation, cultural context and relevant background, and presenting key findings, conclusions, and recommendations.