Global health postgraduate educational programs profile: a scoping review

Abstract

This study aimed to describe a set of global health postgraduate programs profile, emphasizing the importance of promoting education and training in this field to meet global health challenges and ameliorate health outcomes. The present review is in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis Extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR) checklist and the Scoping Review Methods Manual proposed by the Joanna Briggs Institute. Eligibility criteria were a set of lato sensu or stricto sensu postgraduate educational programs of global health or lato sensu or stricto sensu postgraduate programs of public health that present a global health concentration area. The search yielded 707 studies: MEDLINE/PubMed, Web of Science, and LILACS. A total of 441 studies and their authors’ institutional affiliations were analyzed and 101 institutions that offer educational programs were identified. Most postgraduate programs in Global Health or Public health with a concentration area in Global health are master’s degrees, and many of them are taught online. The majority of educational programs are offered by institutions in Europe and North America.