The SARS-CoV-2 that caused the COVID-19 disease, challenged the institutional capacities of public health systems to cope with and adapt to the abrupt and complex changes in the pandemic context.

The case of Mexican government was no exception. Through the various institutions that comprise the health sector, they implemented strategies to prevent the spread of the virus, expand hospital infrastructure, equip and train medical personnel that were at the front-line. They also worked in simplifying administrative procedures and services to provide faster medical care for the infected and potentially more vulnerable population, as well as to implement mitigation measures to address the profound economic and social consequences of confinement and mobility restrictions.

These changes implied transformations within the administrative structure that impacted the organizational structures, redefined functions and adjusted the applicable regulations. It was also necessary to generate cooperation mechanisms abroad, interactions with international organizations and the rest of the countries to share information about the registration and behavior of the virus, as well as prevention protocols and emerging treatments for patient care.

How does the organizational schemes and processes in which health care institutions operated prior to the pandemic were modified? How were inter- and intra-institutional efforts coordinated to address the health emergency? What lessons were learned and how can we improve the government’s capacity to prevent, act in due course and adapt to complex and changing scenarios?

These are some of the issues that will guide the exchange of ideas and experiences accumulated in Mexico. The above in order to stress the importance of having institutions with the organizational and administrative capacity to respond to changes in their environment. It is also important to rely on scientific evidence and international cooperation, to assume strategic perspectives in the planning and management of public health and social protection policies. This is a necessary condition in our times, so we can face the only certainty we have: that everything changes, and nothing remains, as Heraclitus stated.