Public Health and Epidemiology Education in Saudi Arabia: Changes Required to Be Made Following COVID-19 Pandemic- An Opinion of Public Health Expert

Abstract

The COVID-19 global health pandemic has not only affected the economies and education
system in the short run, but it will have detrimental effects in the long run for which organizations
mainly academia might not be thinking of currently. This is even more imperative for countries where
there is a dearth of academic institutions such as countries like Saudi Arabia. Since Saudi Arabia is one
of the countries with the scarcity of Public Health Institutions, therefore it is crucial to envisage at the
moment how this COVID-19 pandemic will affect the Public Health Institutions in Saudi Arabia.
Hence, in this opinion article, I review and appraise the existing situation of Public Health Institutions
in Saudi Arabia and provide my opinion how this era of COVID-19 will affect the Public Health
Institutions from different perspectives in Saudi Arabia and what changes required to be made following
COVID-19 Pandemic in Public Health and Epidemiology Academic Institutions in Saudi Arabia
following COVID-19. It is very evident, that COVID-19 has increased the demand of Public Health
professionals, which has increased the need of experts in various public health fields to plan suitable
programs. Numerous National Institutions can come forward and collaborate to portray their leadership
roles in improving and standardizing the Public Health curricula. The uniformity and standardization
of the curriculum also require a National level collaboration to develop a standard and unified National
Public Health Competency framework. Following COVID-19 era, there is a gigantic need to include
important courses in the medical curriculum being taught in a bachelor's program such as Epidemiology,
Infectious illnesses, and surveillance courses. Lastly, public health faculty members and people in
academia need to revisit the curriculum of both Bachelors and Postgraduate study program to harmonize
these in important aspects to achieve common goals of public health teaching.