The COVID-19 pandemic exposed the health equity gap within and between countries. Beside pre-existing inequalities, high levels of individualism and low state legitimacy were associated with worse COVID-19 outcomes. More successful pandemic responses were seen in settings with a stronger community organization, a functioning democracy and higher trust in government. Since trust and health needs vary greatly, local strategies are needed to include all people according to their needs. Three key levers can promote this people-centred strategy: (1) well-organized communities, (2) community-oriented primary health care and (3) health information systems. The first lever is based on the capacity of communities to mobilize resources and participate in decision making through a legitimate representative. An organized community structure stems from a shared ancient ethical understanding of humanity as being interconnected with others and the environment in the past, present, and future. Secondly, there is the primary care team that, together with community representatives and other relevant stakeholders, actively includes public health functions, by analysing and tackling prevailing health problems from their roots. Thirdly, a health information system and clinical record that includes both health problems and social determinants of health, including ethnicity, to identify health needs, their stratification, and underlying causes. The difference in cumulative excess mortality between countries, as an indirect measure of a successful pandemic response, as well as various country experiences, demonstrate the potential of the levers in promoting a more just and effective health emergency response, as well as to improve health equity in health systems in general.