Ranking of top 50 optometry academics in African universities by research impact.

Clinical relevance: Optometry as a profession constitutes a distinct body of knowledge informed and sustained by evidence-based approaches derived from painstaking peer-reviewed scientific research publications.

Background: The contribution of African Optometric academics affiliated with African universities to the body of knowledge of the profession is yet to be assessed. This study sought to profile the research impact of African optometrists as a contribution to knowledge in the field of Optometry.

Methods: A structured bibliometric search was conducted on the Scopus database using a list of all Optometry training institutions in Africa and comprehensive optometry-related search terms.The resulting publications were systematically screened in two stages: (a) identification of articles directly related to optometry and (b) identification of the authors of those optometry-related publications who are optometrists affiliated with optometry schools in Africa. The authors were then ranked based on h-index, research productivity, citation metrics, and publication rate. The final data was extracted on 31 March 2025.

Results: The Top 50 African Optometric academics ranked by research impact have h-indices ranging from 5 to 52 and have published between 8 and 166 papers. Eleven (22%) are women. Kovin Shunmugam Naidoo is the most impactful researcher on the African continent, with the highest h-index of 52 and a citation count of 64,357. The most prolific author is William Frith Harris (166 papers). Uchechukwu Levi Osuagwu and Mutali Musa have the fastest publishing rate (11.3 papers per year). The active publication years ranged from 2 to 29 years, with a median of 10 years.

Conclusion: African optometric academics have made moderate contributions to optometry literature, and their shorter active publication years depict a great potential for further contributions over time. The 50 most impactful optometrists in Africa are identified for collaboration and partnership.