The role of communities in building resilient health systems is complex and ever evolving. While two days is certainly not enough time to address all of the issues around communities and resiliency, Cracking the Nut Health was a great start. Since the conference, we hope that participants have taken the time to muse over the many discussions at this learning event, and started finding opportunities to incorporate these ideas into ongoing work.

We are pleased to announce that the conference publication from Cracking the Nut Health: The Role of Communities in Building Resilient Health Systems is now available online. The publication synthesizes the main lessons learned from the conference and highlights specific cases of innovative methodologies and technologies presented at the conference.

Our Themes

Using Measurement and Analytics to Improve Accountability

There is a paucity of evidence around health systems resiliency and even greater gaps in understanding of the interface between communities and individuals within a given health system. At the same time, there is growing interest in unpacking what makes health systems and the communities they serve more resilient. New methodological advances brought about by the explosion of big data and more cross disciplinary collaboration offers great promise. Consider the design of early warning systems to better predict and plan for shocks to a health system. Imagine fully interoperable information systems that offer real-time data for more evidence-based resource allocation and program-level decision-making; or crowd-sourcing tools that enable communities to more fully engage in monitoring health system performance and advocating for their own needs. This theme will also explore what are the current best practices (and evidence) to engage communities and individual in the governance of their health system?

Leveraging Partnerships to Promote Resilience

For health systems and communities to be resilient, they require active participation and engagement among a diverse set of stakeholders who share an interest in long-term viability. Too often, health systems are defined by the public sector structures and the interests of the employees that make up typical government health services. Yet, there is potential for the corporate sector, the informal economy, and non-health actors to play increasingly direct roles in ensuring more robust health systems. New business models are underway at community, country and global levels, bringing about new ideas, new financing, and different ways of doing business. For example, this theme will explore new partnership models, such as the Global Financing Facility, which aims to end maternal and child mortality by 2030.

Scaling Technology and Innovation to Increase Impact

Whether focused on digital communication, life-saving practices and products, or investment strategies renewed interest in innovation in global health is shaping how health systems develop. The challenge remains how to best harness and scale new practices and technologies that are serving users of the health system – the individual clients and communities. In addition, this theme will showcase what modalities exist to ensure technologies and other innovations are scaled equitably, are meeting community needs, are built to last, and can be used and adapted by those working within the health system?

Cracking the Nut Health 2016

Our Themes

Using Measurement and Analytics to Improve Accountability

Leveraging Partnerships to Promote Resilience

Scaling Technology and Innovation to Increase Impact