On the epistemology of resilience in public health: a novel perspective in a changing world

This review proposes the foundations for an epistemology of resilience in public health, addressing the need for a theoretical framework to guide research and policy. Resilience, often ambiguously defined, is reexamined here as a critical attribute of public health systems, enabling them to adapt, a...

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Main Authors: Alessandro Jatobá, Paula Castro-Nunes, Paulo Victor Rodrigues de Carvalho
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Frontiers Media S.A. 2025-01-01
Series:Frontiers in Health Services
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/frhs.2024.1453006/full
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author Alessandro Jatobá
Paula Castro-Nunes
Paulo Victor Rodrigues de Carvalho
author_facet Alessandro Jatobá
Paula Castro-Nunes
Paulo Victor Rodrigues de Carvalho
author_sort Alessandro Jatobá
collection DOAJ
description This review proposes the foundations for an epistemology of resilience in public health, addressing the need for a theoretical framework to guide research and policy. Resilience, often ambiguously defined, is reexamined here as a critical attribute of public health systems, enabling them to adapt, absorb, and respond to routine and extraordinary demands without compromising universal and equitable service delivery. By integrating logical, sociological, historical, and philosophical perspectives, the paper delineates resilience as a structured and measurable concept, distinguishing it from common ambiguities in academic and policy discourse. It further introduces a set of foundational axioms to clarify the boundaries of resilience and support its operationalization within public health. These axioms emphasize the interplay between structural and functional dynamics, responses to internal and external stressors, and the importance of systems-level design over reliance on individual adaptations. This epistemological approach aims to bridge the gap between theory and practice, providing a robust basis for developing evidence-based policies that strengthen public health systems' ability to meet evolving challenges while promoting equity and universality.
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spelling doaj-art-490c4c2d05514cafa0ba65c85001763e2025-08-20T02:59:37ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Health Services2813-01462025-01-01410.3389/frhs.2024.14530061453006On the epistemology of resilience in public health: a novel perspective in a changing worldAlessandro JatobáPaula Castro-NunesPaulo Victor Rodrigues de CarvalhoThis review proposes the foundations for an epistemology of resilience in public health, addressing the need for a theoretical framework to guide research and policy. Resilience, often ambiguously defined, is reexamined here as a critical attribute of public health systems, enabling them to adapt, absorb, and respond to routine and extraordinary demands without compromising universal and equitable service delivery. By integrating logical, sociological, historical, and philosophical perspectives, the paper delineates resilience as a structured and measurable concept, distinguishing it from common ambiguities in academic and policy discourse. It further introduces a set of foundational axioms to clarify the boundaries of resilience and support its operationalization within public health. These axioms emphasize the interplay between structural and functional dynamics, responses to internal and external stressors, and the importance of systems-level design over reliance on individual adaptations. This epistemological approach aims to bridge the gap between theory and practice, providing a robust basis for developing evidence-based policies that strengthen public health systems' ability to meet evolving challenges while promoting equity and universality.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/frhs.2024.1453006/fullhealth planning [MeSH]public health systems research (PHSSR)healthcare systemshealth systems resiliencepreparedness & response
spellingShingle Alessandro Jatobá
Paula Castro-Nunes
Paulo Victor Rodrigues de Carvalho
On the epistemology of resilience in public health: a novel perspective in a changing world
Frontiers in Health Services
health planning [MeSH]
public health systems research (PHSSR)
healthcare systems
health systems resilience
preparedness & response
title On the epistemology of resilience in public health: a novel perspective in a changing world
title_full On the epistemology of resilience in public health: a novel perspective in a changing world
title_fullStr On the epistemology of resilience in public health: a novel perspective in a changing world
title_full_unstemmed On the epistemology of resilience in public health: a novel perspective in a changing world
title_short On the epistemology of resilience in public health: a novel perspective in a changing world
title_sort on the epistemology of resilience in public health a novel perspective in a changing world
topic health planning [MeSH]
public health systems research (PHSSR)
healthcare systems
health systems resilience
preparedness & response
url https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/frhs.2024.1453006/full
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