The term resilience has dominated the discourse among health systems researchers since 2014 and the onset of the Ebola outbreak in West Africa. There is wide consensus that the global community has to help build more resilient health systems. But do we really know what resilience means, and do we all have the same vision of resilience? The present paper presents a new conceptual framework on governance of resilience based on systems thinking and complexity theories. In this paper, we see resilience of a health system as its capacity to absorb, adapt and transform when exposed to a shock such as a pandemic, natural disaster or armed conflict and still retain the same control over its structure and functions.

Little is published about the disclosure of parents' own HIV status to their children in Africa. Research shows that keeping family secrets from children, including those related to a parent's HIV status, can be detrimental to their psychological well-being and to the structure of the family. Further, children with HIV-positive parents have been shown to be more vulnerable to poorer reproductive health outcomes. This qualitative study in Botswana conducted in-depth interviews among 21 HIV-positive parents on antiretroviral therapy. The data revealed that parents found discussing the issue of HIV with children difficult, including disclosing their own HIV status to them. Reasons for disclosing included: children being HIV positive, the rest of the family knowing, or the parent becoming very sick. Reasons for not disclosing included: believing the child to be too young, not knowing how to address the issue of HIV, that it would be "too painful" for the child/ren. Concern that other people might find out about their status or fear of children experiencing stigmatising behaviour. Interviews elucidated the difficulty that parents have in discussing their own HIV status and more general sexual health issues with their children. Parents and other guardians require support in managing age-appropriate disclosure to their children. This may further enable access to forums that can help children cope with their fears about the future and develop life skills in preparation for dealing with relationships of a sexual nature and sexual health as children move into adulthood. In developing such support mechanisms, changing family roles in Botswana need to be taken into consideration and the role of other family members in the upbringing of children in Tswana society need to be recognised and utilised.

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In health outcomes terms, the poorest countries stand to lose the most from these disruptions. In this paper, we make the case for a rational approach to public sector health spending and decision making during and in the early recovery phase of the COVID-19 pandemic. Based on ethics and equity principles, it is crucial to ensure that patients not infected by COVID-19 continue to get access to healthcare and that the services they need continue to be resourced. We present a list of 120 essential non-COVID-19 health interventions that were adapted from the model health benefit packages developed by the Disease Control Priorities project.

Background and Objectives Voluntary blood donor recruitment and retention in sub‐Saharan Africa needs to be strengthened. To do this, an understanding of the factors underpinning people's willingness or refusal to donate is essential; yet there has been little attention to these in sub‐Saharan African contexts. This overview of studies explores attitudes of blood donors, non‐donors and potential donors towards voluntary blood donation in a range of sub‐Saharan African settings. Materials and Methods A structured literature search was conducted between January and May 2014 based on the Overseas Development Institute's evidence‐focused literature review methodology. Results The review identified 22 individual studies across ten countries in sub‐Saharan Africa. The main barriers to donation related to health concerns and fears and to a lack of knowledge; socio‐cultural and practical barriers were less dominant. Important motivating factors included saving a relative, friend or other person's life, and access to adequate information. Across the studies, respondents reported eagerness to receive a range of incentives besides money. Conclusion Multiple barriers and motivations to donation exist in sub‐Saharan Africa, many of which are common to developed countries. Variations between settings highlight the importance of context‐specific evidence to inform donor recruitment and retention strategies.