Health System Resilience: key for unlocking the complex health system strengthening agenda

The emergence of the concept of resilience in health system research has been a relatively recent phenomenon arising as new pandemics and external shocks have impacted dramatically upon health systems in countries where these were little prepared to respond. The overarching aim of my PhD thesis is to analyse the role of resilience in the health system and its impact on the overall functioning and performance of the health system through the achievement of the following objectives: (1) to synthesize evidence on key features of resilient health systems in low- and middle- income countries (2) to assess the institutional capacity for resilience in Myanmar’s health system (3) to explore the association between decentralised everyday health system resilience and primary healthcare performance in the case of Myanmar My PhD research will highlight the vital role of health system resilience in not only preparing countries for future shocks, but in its crucial effect in bridging the disparate health and development agenda whilst building its overall health system.

Keywords: Health system, resilience, disaster planning, delivery of health care, national health programmes, low- and middle- income countries

Short Biography

Pauline Yongeun Ahn is pursuing a PhD in Epidemiology at the University of Basel, based at the Swiss Centre for International Health in Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute (Swiss TPH). She has an MSc in Global Health Science from the University of Oxford. Throughout her career in International development, she has served various capacities with NGOs, UN, and the South Korean Government in supporting health projects and policy research in Southern Africa and Southeast Asia regions. Her research interest lies in strengthening health systems through building resilience in low- and middle- income countries.

Pauline Yongeun Ahn
Swiss TPH
University of Basel

Personal Website
pauline.ahn@swisstph.ch

Supervisor: Kaspar Wyss