Health systems resilience: meaningful construct or catchphrase?

Abstract

Resilience is an emerging concept in the health systems discourse, further highlighted by infectious disease outbreaks including Ebola virus disease, Zika virus disease, and Middle East respiratory syndrome. Environmental disciplines view resilience as the amount of disturbance an ecosystem can absorb and remain stable.2,3 Similarly, policy positions view resilience as the ability to absorb disturbances and thrive.4,5 Stability and shock absorption are also found in disaster management and engineering; however, resilience engineering strives to anticipate...