Health systems in Ethiopia have faced significant challenges during epidemic responses, necessitating a deeper examination of resilience mechanisms. A qualitative study was conducted through literature review and expert interviews focusing on Ethiopia’s experiences with epidemic responses from -. The analysis revealed a critical role of community engagement in bolstering health system resilience, particularly during the Ebola outbreak (-), where active involvement led to higher containment success rates. Ethiopia’s experience underscores the importance of integrating local communities into epidemic response strategies to enhance overall resilience. Policy recommendations include strengthening community health worker networks and fostering greater public trust in healthcare systems as key measures for improving future epidemic responses. Health system resilience, Ethiopia, epidemic preparedness, community engagement