Primary Health Care as the Foundation for Resilient Health Systems

As negotiations have started on a WHO convention, agreement or other international instrument on pandemic prevention, preparedness and response, it is critically important to make the case for a comprehensive and integrated approach to pandemic preparedness and health systems strengthening. The COVID-19 pandemic has shed light on the entrenched inequalities that exist in and between countries as well as on the absolute necessity to building resilient health systems. Moving forward, considerations on health equity should go beyond the access to medical countermeasures. There is an urgent need to tackle the root causes of ill-health and to adopt and implement public health policies that will serve the most impacted by inequalities and discrimination.