Investing in health system resilience: A scoping review to identify strategies for enhancing preparedness and response capacity

Abstract

INTRODUCTIONHealth system resilience refers to a healthcare system's capacity to withstand shocks and maintain essential functions during global challenges like the COVID-19 pandemic. Building resilient health systems has become a leading research priority, and this scoping review explores the concept of investing in health system resilience and focuses on identifying key strategies to enhance emergency preparedness and response capabilities of countries. METHODS Published literature and grey literature were identified by searching the PubMed and Google Scholar databases, covering topics on health systems resilience from March 2020 to March 2023. The search was limited to articles written in English and included original studies, meta-analyses, and reviews. In addition, relevant books, government publications, and technical reports were also considered. A narrative summary was used to identify the strategies for building health system resilience and organize them into main thematic areas. RESULTS The search yielded 940 records, of which 43 publications met the inclusion criteria. Six thematic areas