Global Mapping and Trends in Scabies Research Over Four Decades: A Bibliometric Analysis Supporting The WHO Elimination Agenda

Clinical, cosmetic and investigational dermatology  ·  2026

Fifa Argentina; Raden Pamudji; M Izazi Hari Purwoko; Sarah Diba; Monica Trifitriana;

HIGHLIGHT

This study mapped publication trends, research inequities, and thematic shifts in relation to the WHO control agenda.

RELATED

Papers      Patents     Grants     Venues     Experts    Cite    Share    Save

ABSTRACT

Scabies is a neglected tropical disease with at least 200 million people affected worldwide at any one time and a disproportionate burden in resource-limited settings. Although World Health Organization (WHO) prioritization has increased attention to scabies control, the evolution, geographic distribution, collaboration patterns, and policy alignment of the global research landscape remain incompletely characterized. This study mapped publication trends, research inequities, and thematic shifts in relation to the WHO control agenda. A bibliometric analysis was conducted using Scopus and Web of Science records published from 1 January 1980 through 31 December 2025. Records were harmonized, screened, and deduplicated using R-bibliometrix version 5.1.1 and visualized using Biblioshiny version 5.1.1. After cross-database screening and deduplication, 3696 publications were included. The annual growth rate was 3.24%, international collaboration was 13.84%, and mean citations were 13.98 per document. Australia (1170 publications), the United States (945), China (502), and the United Kingdom (455) were the leading contributors. Thematic patterns shifted from classical topical scabicides toward oral ivermectin, mass drug administration (MDA), standardized diagnosis, and implementation-oriented research, while resistance and crusted scabies emerged as prominent recent themes. Publication growth accelerated after 2017, temporally coinciding with WHO recognition of scabies as a neglected tropical disease; however, the descriptive design does not establish causality. Research output remains geographically concentrated, with no African or Latin American country represented among the 10 most productive countries. Broader international collaboration, research-capacity strengthening in highly endemic settings, and operational research on diagnosis, MDA, surveillance, and treatment effectiveness are priorities for the 2030 control agenda.

 Paraphrase     Questionfy     Wikify     Simplify     Summarize

Download