Perception of public health university students on global health curriculum

Abstract The COVID-19 pandemic has underscored the importance of global health knowledge among public health students. In today's interconnected world, health issues have grown more intricate, involving both communicable and non-communicable diseases, necessitating swift and effective surveillance and healthcare. This study aimed to evaluate students' perspectives on global health within a public health curriculum. A cross-sectional study was conducted, utilizing an online survey distributed to undergraduate students studying Public Health, Nutrition, Environmental Health, and Occupational Health at the Faculty of Public Health, University X in West Java Province, Indonesia. 341 respondents completed a self-administered online questionnaire. 86.8% of students recognized the crucial relationship between access to clean water, sanitation, and nutrition, and individual and population health. Moreover, 70.7% of respondents supported the inclusion of global health topics in the current curriculum, with 89.7% believing that global health materials should be mandatory in the core program. Overall, students at the Faculty of Public Health, University X in West Java Province, Indonesia, held similar perceptions regarding global health, specifically in terms of knowledge, learner needs, and curriculum.