Strengthening Health Systems Resilience: The George Institute for Global Health and ACCESS Health International Announce Partnership at the 3rd Annual GLC4HSR Conclave

New Delhi, 12th March 2025

ACCESS Health International hosted the 3rd Annual Conclave of the Global Learning Collaborative for Health Systems Resilience (GLC4HSR) in New Delhi on 11th and 12th March 2025. With the theme, “Collaborative Learning to Coordinated Action: Policy and Practice for Resilient Health Systems,” the conclave brought together global health leaders, policymakers, and practitioners to discuss innovative strategies for strengthening health systems resilience.

With a global shortage of 18 million healthcare workers expected by 2030, concentrated in low and middle-income countries, the need for joint action is more required than ever. Challenges like stress, burnout, and mental health risks are affecting healthcare workers well-being, decision-making abilities, and work-life balance. These challenges are more impacted by humanitarian crises, conflicts, pandemics, and ongoing problems like poor infrastructure and uneven access to healthcare. The conclave focused on resilience assessments, digital healthcare solutions, climate change impacts, and new funding strategies to address these concerns.

A major highlight of the event was the announcement of a strategic partnership between The George Institute for Global Health and ACCESS Health International. The two organizations are coming together through The Resilience Collaborative and the Global Learning Community for Health Systems Resilience (GLC4HSR) to advance health worker resilience at both systemic and individual levels.

Speaking about the collaboration, Dr. Vivekanand Jha, Executive Director of The George Institute for Global Health, India, said, “Healthcare professionals are some of the most brave individuals who perform in highly stressful contexts. It is vital to support the health workforce through multiple systems to ensure their resilience. This in turn will contribute in achieving resilient health systems. This collaboration will augment ACCESS Health International and The George Institute for Global Health’s work to learn and respond effectively to these needs, at individual and health systems levels."

A Collaborative Approach to Strengthening Healthcare Resilience, ACCESS Health International specializes in system-wide resilience, while The George Institute’s The Resilience Collaborative emphasizes on health worker well-being at an individual level and advances avenues to build on connections across systems for health. Through evidence-based approach, community engagement, and practitioner-oriented solutions, this collaboration aims to build a healthier workforce, enhance health systems, and improve patient care quality.

Speaking about the collaboration with The George Institute, Dr N Krishna Reddy, CEO, ACCESS Health International, said, "Global Learning Collaborative for Health Systems Resilience (GLC4HSR) is evolving as a network of networks, bringing together diverse groups focused on strengthening health systems. Our collaboration with The George Institute aligns perfectly with this vision, particularly in advancing a resilient health workforce, an area they have been spearheading for years. A strong, well-supported health workforce is the backbone of a resilient health system, and investing in it is as critical as investing in medical technologies or infrastructure.

He further mentioned, “Through this partnership, we aim to translate theoretical concepts into evidence-based strategies that can shape policy and drive meaningful change. Together, we will work towards protecting and empowering healthcare workers, ensuring they remain a steadfast pillar of global health resilience.”

The George Institute on 11^th March hosted a breakout session on Leadership and Governance in Health to discuss the critical role of frontline health workers. As part of the session, The Resilience Collaborative team led an engaging exercise where participants delved into possibility of engaging health workers from frontlines in governance systems pertaining to human resources for health, potential strategies to counter social hierarchies that exist among health workers and the communities they work with. In the session, representation of health workers in different capacities participated in this discussion focusing on ways to include frontline health workers into governance and leadership mechanisms. The discussion underscored the critical need for their involvement in decision making processes, emphasizing the importance of breaking down the existing barriers to ensure their voices are heard in key discussions.

As the global health landscape changes, The George Institute for Global Health India remains dedicated to improving the health of billions of people worldwide through research, advocacy, and disruptive innovation. By encouraging collaboration across sectors, the Institute is committed to creating equitable and resilient health systems to ensure better health outcomes for all.