Systematic Review and Bibliometric Analysis of Malaria Research in Sudan Published in Scopus Database: Trends and Focus Areas (1956–2024)

Abstract Background: Malaria, a life-threatening disease, remains a major public health challenge, particularly in Sudan, where it causes significant morbidity and mortality. Objectives: To comprehensively review and explore Malaria Research in Sudan in the Scopus database and identify the cited articles from 1956 to 2024. Methods A systematic and thematic analysis was made to provide a substantial insight into the most recent progressions, tracking the growth of research on malaria in Sudan, understanding key contributions of authors, countries, and institutions, and interpreting pattern’s themes, and emerging topics. Data were analyzed using VOS viewer, Var1. 6. 6, and the Biblioshiny tool. The correlation analysis was conducted using IBM SPSS 25 software, and a p-value ≤ 0. 05 was considered statistically significant. Results: The conflict in Sudan has led to a resurgence of malaria, and effective malaria control efforts have been severely disrupted. 252 documents were identified for analysis. There was a continuous relatively steady trend in scientific output between 1978 and 2022 1978 and 2022, and the highest peak had been seen in 2004 (17 documents). The mean total citation per article increased from 0. 2 in 1990 to a peak of 3. 6 in 2014, declining to a bottom of 0. 3 in 2023. Out of 71 contributed countries, Sudan was the most productive country with138 (55%) of articles. Adam I. from Faculty of Medicine, University of Khartoum, emerged as the most prolific author with high-level of metrics (n = 90, TNC = 2039, and hᵢndex=26). Among the 105 peer reviewed journals; “Malaria Journal” was the most publishing journal (36 documents), TNC; 985, hᵢndex of 18, and Journal Impact Factor (JIF, 2023) 2. 4 score. “Malaria”, “Sudan”, and, " plasmodium falciparum” are the most explored keywords by authors. Thematic mapping indicated that the emerging themes are focusing on “thrombocytopenia”, “anopheles stephensi”, “antibodies”, “animal”, and “non-human”. Keyword analysis did not highlight “ACT-resistant malaria” as an emerging theme or high-centrality topic. Conclusion: National and international efforts are needed for restarting malaria control. Our findings provide an overview of the global status, and potential trends in malaria in Sudan research. This information can assist researchers in exploring the knowledge structure and offer insights for future research on malaria in Sudan.