Re-imagining Health Systems in Low- and Middle-Income Countries: Pathways to Equity, Resilience, and Universal Health Coverage

Low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) account for a large portion of the world’s population and bear a high burden of disease, yet their health systems often struggle with limited resources and infrastructure. Key components of health systems – including governance, financing, healthcare workforce, service delivery, information systems, and supply chains – frequently operate under significant constraints, leading to gaps in access, quality, and equity of care. Over the past decades, some LMICs have achieved notable health gains (for example, improved child survival and control of certain infectious diseases), but many communities still lack reliable access to essential health services or face financial hardship from healthcare costs. As the global community strives toward the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly the target of universal health coverage, strengthening health systems has become an urgent priority to ensure resilient and equitable healthcare for all.Despite broad consensus on the need for strong health systems, LMICs continue to grapple with how best to implement effective reforms across all components. Weaknesses such as insufficient health workforce, inadequate funding, fragmented service delivery, and poor infrastructure contribute to avoidable morbidity and mortality and widen health disparities. These gaps undermine progress against communicable and non-communicable diseases alike. Furthermore, recent challenges – exemplified by the COVID-19 pandemic – have exposed vulnerabilities and underscored the importance of resilient systems that can maintain essential services during crises.To address these issues, digital health tools and strengthened health information systems are being leveraged to extend reach and efficiency of care. Implementation science is guiding the application of evidence-based interventions in LMIC settings. New financing models and policy reforms aim to expand coverage and strengthen financial protection. Community engagement and multisectoral partnerships are vital to improve service delivery and address social determinants of health. This Research Topic aims to bring together cutting-edge research on strategies and solutions to reinforce health system performance in LMICs. By sharing diverse experiences and evidence, this collection seeks to inform policy and practice and support progress toward inclusive, high-quality health services and improved health outcomes.This Research Topic welcomes contributions that explore all facets of health system strengthening in LMICs. We invite manuscripts on topics including, but not limited to:• Health policy and governance (leadership and accountability)• Health financing (universal coverage and financial protection)• Health workforce (training, retention, distribution)• Primary healthcare and service delivery (quality and access)• Health information systems and digital health (data-driven decision-making)• Supply chain management (access to essential medicines and technologies)• Community engagement (social determinants and health equity)• Health system resilience (emergency preparedness)We encourage submissions of all article types (Original Research, Review, Policy Brief, Case Study, Perspective, etc.) that present empirical findings, novel methods, or insightful analysis. Authors may employ implementation science, systems modeling, policy analysis, qualitative or quantitative research to advance understanding and inform practical guidance for health system strengthening in diverse LMIC contexts. Topic editors: Nishikant Singh, Sudheer Kumar Shukla, PRATHEEBA JOHN Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/77851/re-imagining-health-systems-in-low--and-middle-income-countries-pathways-to-equity-resilience-and-universal-health-coverage