Curricular innovations to address inequalities in global health education

Abstract Background Global Health education (GHE) has expanded dramatically, with new degrees and expanded competencies in medical curricula. Yet, Global Health (GH) is also going through significant reckoning and debate around inequalities in the field. GH degrees are predominantly based in high-income countries and inaccessible to most global majority students. Some suggest GH education itself contributes to reproducing inequalities in GH. Thus, both educators and policy-makers require evidence and tools to support more representative and authentic educational experiences which can adequately equip our future graduates. Objectives To present educational innovations which gesture towards responding to the stark inequalities in Global/Public Health education. These include a unique project that experiments with disrupting current power dynamics through co-design and co-delivery of a curriculum on Syrian healthcare by colleagues with lived experience, and a student-staff partnership to integrate self-reflexivity and positionality (SRP) in curricula at Imperial College London (UK). Results Qualitative data shows that the Syrian Curriculum has resulted in enhanced student experience, being consistently cited as a highlight of the curriculum, whilst alsoenhancing inclusivity for many students. SRP supplemented this by providing students with tools to engage in open, respectful discussions and critically reflect on personal biases that impact class dynamics. Conclusions These projects provide tools for educators and policy-makers across European universities to address current challenges in GH education. Nonetheless, these innovations should principally be seen as tools to reflect and advocate for fundamental changes towards more representative structures in GH. Key messages • Curriculum innovations offer key tools to address inequalities in GHE, enhancing student experience/inclusivity. • Yet, these remain limited without fundamental change towards a more representative sector.