The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed some of the structural vulnerabilities of European health systems and highlighted the need for more resilient systems that are able to rapidly adapt to shocks and challenges. The health crisis has uncovered the pre-existing flaws in national primary care systems and weak coordination between different levels of care. At the same time, it has highlighted the critical importance of strong primary and community health services for an effective response to health emergencies, as they are the “front door” of health systems and crucial for fostering resilience in the longer term.

This CHES Policy Dialogue discussed the need to build stronger, more resilient health systems in the aftermath of the crisis. Professor Jan De Maeseneer presented the latest opinion by the Expert Panel on effective ways of investing in health, highlighting the need for a tool to assess the resilience of health systems. The panellists discussed the important role that primary and community care can play in transforming health systems, noting the need for “a fundamental shift in the way we value and understand the role of people and communities as an integral part of the system”. While primary and community care can play an important role, Francesca Colombo from the OECD noted that they “need to be strengthened, in terms of information structure, skills of health professionals and use of telemedicine and digital tools”. During the discussion, the importance of providing the means and resources to build stronger and more resilient health systems was also highlighted.