Health systems resilience: is it time to revisit resilience after COVID-19?

Paschoalotto, M. A. C., Lazzari, E. A., Rocha, R., Massuda, A., & Castro, M. C. (2023). Health systems resilience: is it time to revisit resilience after COVID-19? Social Science and Medicine, 320. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2023.115716 This episode examines the resilience of health systems in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. Drawing on a literature review and interviews with 26 experts, it highlights key advances in defining resilience, emphasizing its contextual dependence and adaptability to crises. The four stages of resilience—preparedness, alert, impact, and recovery—are reimagined as an adaptive system, with decision-making and management capacity at its core. A new framework connects technology and information systems to all resilience dimensions, enabling more effective responses. The episode also explores differences in resilience implementation between high-income and low- and middle-income countries, with resources and technological capacities as key factors. Finally, it discusses challenges in implementing resilience frameworks, stressing the importance of community engagement, political support, and clear narratives to strengthen health systems against future shocks. This theme reflects on lessons learned and proposes pathways to more robust and adaptable healthcare systems worldwide.