LONDON: Stringent Visa requirements has become a major hurdle in mobility of researchers and scientific exchange between the developed and developing, Low & Middle Income countries. Researchers find it extremely difficult to get a short visit visa to attend a conference or course, workshops in the developed world and researchers form low and middle income countries are the worst sufferers. World Psychiatric Association which represents one hundred forty five National Societies of Mental Healthcare Professionals from all over the world with a membership of over two lac fifty thousand has taken a note of this problem and sent a communication which has recently been published in Lancet on June 1st 2024.
They have pointed out that WPAs World Congress of Psychiatry held in Austria Vienna attracted over four thousand delegates. However, reports emerged that many healthcare professionals who intended to participate could not do so as they were denied visa. Some of these delegates were from counties like Iraq, Nigeria and Pakistan. Despite the fact that world bodies place lot of emphasis on cross cultural diversity in global health, denial of Visa has seriously affected this scientific exchange. Visa requirements, they further report, can be substantial barriers for travel for attending medical conferences.
In one survey over a third of African and Asian researchers faced difficulties in obtaining short term travel visas which is far less that those faced by their counterparts in Europe and North America. The complex application process and high refusal rate for academicians and researches from Low and Middle Income Countries who wished to enter United Kingdom has been reported.
Denial of Visa to researchers from Asia and African countries will minimize or almost eliminate any useful collaboration between the researchers in the West and the East or developing countries. While on one hand governments all over the world are facilitating and competing for good relations and influence, simplifying visa protocols for research purposes and positive attitude, increased goodwill to the applicants could be mutually beneficial. WPA communication further emphasizes that all scholarly organizations have an obligation take up this issue and must advocate for inclusive short term visa procedures highlighting the value of wider scientific interaction.
However, the growing anti-migration voices in the West can adversely affect these countries as well. In some cases the disease pattern and pathology seen in the developing world in abundance has very low prevalence in the developed world and collaboration between these countries could be extremely beneficial for teaching and training as well including short term visits and exchange programme. Organizing a conference also brings with it lot of economic benefits to the host countries. WPA has further suggested that all such international conferences in various disciplines should be organized in Low and Middle Income countries as well after ensuring security arrangements as it will go a long way in bridging the scientific divide.
All professional scholarly organizations should also prioritize financial assistance for visa costs, they maintain. Digital solution can also contribute to international collaboration. While Hybrid participation of delegates should also be encouraged, it should not mean that such conferences can never be organized in LMICs. At present visa restrictions are disrupting the cross cultural collaboration. In order to seriously address global health challenges, scholarly societies and associations must support knowledge sharing, mobility of researchers besides fair representation across the scientific community. This communication published in Lancet has been signed by Alexander Smith, Albert Persaud, Dinesh Bhugra, Afzal Javed and Michael Liebnrenz.
