Session 1

Health systems resilience

Absorbing shocks, assessing response impacts and preparing for crisis

Organised by the Austrian Ministry of Social Affairs, Health, Care and Consumer Protection and the European Observatory on Health Systems and Policies

The analysis of excess mortality shows wide variation on how the COVID-19 pandemic is affecting European countries. Much of this variation is explained by the ability of governments to implement effective and timely policy responses. Oftentimes, vulnerable population groups, the elderly and health workers have remained insufficiently protected. These differences, however, provide us with a unique opportunity to learn from each other’s best practices: What strategies will help to make health systems resilient against new surges of COVID-19 as well as other future system shocks?

On the other hand, there are also concerns about the unintended impact of some health system resilience policies on our societies if they are unnecessarily stringent or implemented for too long. This is where health impact assessment (HIA) may help by analysing the effects of these measures not only on health systems, but also on the social and economic fabric of our societies; and by feeding the results into the decision-making process.

Join us in this session to explore best practices to build up health system resilience, and the tools needed to balance resilience across all societal goals and foster proportionate and effective responses to address current and future crises.

Organisers