Students' Awareness of Emerging Infectious Disease in the Age of Global Insecurity

Abstract

Emerging infectious diseases have become a major global public health concern due to increasing globalization, environmental changes, and rising global insecurity. Factors such as conflict, displacement, weak healthcare systems, and rapid population movement have contributed to the spread of infectious diseases across different regions of the world. This study examined students’ awareness of emerging infectious diseases in the age of global insecurity. The study specifically reviewed students’ level of awareness, their sources of information, determined the relationship between awareness and preventive health behaviours, and evaluated the influence of global insecurity on students’ perception of infectious disease risks. The study adopted a systematic review research design and relied on recent peer-reviewed journal articles obtained from academic databases such as Google Scholar, PubMed, ScienceDirect, and Scopus. Relevant studies published between 2020 and 2025 were critically reviewed and analysed through qualitative content analysis. The findings revealed that students generally possess moderate to high awareness of emerging infectious diseases, particularly diseases such as COVID-19 and Ebola. Social media, online platforms, educational institutions, and public health campaigns were identified as major sources of information. The study also found that awareness positively influences preventive health behaviours, although misinformation and low risk perception sometimes limit proper health practices. Furthermore, global insecurity was found to significantly shape students’ perception of infectious disease risks. The study concludes that strengthening health education and promoting access to credible information are essential for improving students’ preparedness for future infectious disease outbreaks.