Building a resilient health system in Ghana- Lessons from COVID-19 and beyond

The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed weaknesses in the health system in Africa and beyond. There were global health system failures such as the lack of international collaboration, lack of equity in vaccine distribution, poor data accuracy and sharing, and massive global economic losses. Locally, the breakdown and inefficiencies of surveillance networks contributed to the spread of COVID-19. This was worsened by years of neglect and lack of investment in our surveillance systems. The COVID-19 pandemic directly or indirectly affected all spheres of life and affected everyone. Ghana fought the COVID-19 pandemic in the way it knows best. There were some failures but also some very important successes and lessons we learned. This is all garnered towards building a resilient health system capable of resisting the next health event. This editorial focuses on the scope and range of COVID-19 on the health of the population and how it can aid Ghana to build a more resilient healthcare system.