Contributor(s): Dr Hans Kluge | Three years of COVID-19 have exposed the fault lines in health systems across the WHO European Region and globally. The pandemic has also driven home the gross inequities that impact access to health within societies and between countries. As we embark on the 4th year of what the UN Secretary-General has labelled the worst global crisis since World War Two, it’s clear that governments and health partners need a new approach to strengthening health systems overall. Dr Kluge avers that a dual track approach to health strategy and policy must be our new normal. Countries must prepare for the health emergencies that lie ahead, arriving faster than ever before, while, at the same time, investing in essential, everyday health services. This approach addresses this range of health challenges, requiring political commitment at the highest levels, grassroots efforts to strengthen primary health care, innovations in health such as digital health and the adoption of disciplines such as behavioural and cultural insights.