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Paper short abstract:

This paper examines health system and community resilience in Fiji during COVID-19. Through a series of talanoa sessions in Fiji, and drawing on indigenous frameworks and CAS theory, the study shows how cultural values and relational networks strengthen adaptation and transformation during crises.

Paper long abstract:

The COVID-19 pandemic exposed vulnerabilities in health systems worldwide, particularly in Global South countries including Fiji, where pre-existing systemic challenges were exacerbated. This research examines adaptive practices within Fiji’s health sector, exploring pathways for resilience and transformation.

This paper is based on a series of talanoa (discussion) sessions conducted with key groups in Fiji. First, we explored the experiences of high-level stakeholders in the health sector, including government representatives, medical and nursing associations, and local health and community leaders. Follow up case studies then focused on experienced nurses who served during, the pandemic; and on the experiences of three iTaukei (indigenous) communities. These unstructured conversations allowed exploration of the lived experiences of those on the frontlines, highlighting how local leadership, cultural values, and relational networks sustained the system under extreme pressure.

Using a framework that integrates complex adaptive systems (CAS) theory with the Fiji Vanua and Tali Magimagi research frameworks, the study conceptualises resilience as a dynamic, cyclical process. Using the metaphor of magimagi (woven coconut fibres), tangible health system elements, such as resources and infrastructure, are woven together with intangible strengths, including trust, compassion, and cultural values. This holistic framework emphasises the interdependence of components often overlooked in conventional health system models, advocating for decolonised, context-sensitive approaches to health and development.

In a world facing polycrises, this research highlights how resilience lies not only in recovering from shocks but also through contextually specific absorption, adaptation, and transformation, centred around Indigenous knowledge and practices.