Launch of the WHO position paper on building health systems resilience for universal health coverage and health security during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond

COVID-19 has had wide-ranging health and socioeconomic impacts on all parts of society, leading to setbacks in health gains and efforts to achieve universal health coverage (UHC) and health security. Reacting to events as they occur, without adequately strengthening prevention and preparedness, meant that countries were caught unprepared for a pandemic of this speed and scale. The lack of synergies in health systems strengthening and public health emergency management efforts, as well as underinvestment in the health sector, continue to hamper progress towards both UHC and health security, which are interdependent and complementary goals that need to be achieved to deliver health for all. 

Vulnerable and marginalized populations are hit particularly hard by the pandemic and pre-existing inequalities are further exacerbated. These highlight the urgent need for countries and global health actors to take every opportunity to invest in and rebuild health systems, based on primary health care approaches and essential public health functions, to boost resilience against ongoing and future shocks. Such investments will have substantial returns in terms of socio-economic development and healthier populations.