Towards resilient health systems: 3 lessons from our international missions

From our projects in Central Asia, Eastern Europe, and Africa, we’ve identified three key lessons:

1. Engage local stakeholders from the start

Success depends on active involvement of local authorities, healthcare teams, and communities. When stakeholders co-create the vision, define priorities, and take ownership, solutions become more relevant, accepted, and impactful over the long term.

2. Treat every project as unique

No two contexts are the same. Understanding local health systems, current states and priorities, existing infrastructures and services, patient needs, and operational realities is crucial. Tailored interventions, from primary care solutions, to telemedicine networks and to capacity-building programs, maximize impact.

3. Ensure sustainability through monitoring and learning

Resilient systems require more than one-off interventions. Establishing efficient training programs and tools, clear monitoring mechanisms, collecting data, and iterating based on feedback ensures that services and improvements last and adapt to evolving challenges.