diff --git a/API/Routes/System/HealthRoute.py b/API/Routes/System/HealthRoute.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..02c0f85eb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/API/Routes/System/HealthRoute.py
@@ -0,0 +1,140 @@
+from flask import Blueprint, jsonify
+import platform
+import shutil
+import os
+import time
+import logging
+from pathlib import Path
+from Classes.Base import Config
+
+health_api = Blueprint('HealthRoute', __name__)
+
+# Basic module-level variables to cache solver check results
+_SOLVER_CACHE_DATA = {}
+_SOLVER_CACHE_TIME = 0.0
+CACHE_TTL = 300  # 5 minutes
+
+
+def _check_solver(binary_name, env_var):
+    """Check if a solver binary is reachable.
+
+    Resolution order mirrors Osemosys._resolve_solver_folder:
+    1. Environment variable
+    2. System PATH (shutil.which)
+    3. Bundled binary under SOLVERs_FOLDER
+    """
+    allowed_names = _binary_names(binary_name)
+
+    # 1 — env var
+    env_val = os.environ.get(env_var, "").strip().strip("\"'")
+    if env_val:
+        env_path = Path(env_val).expanduser()
+        if env_path.is_file():
+            # Validate that the file is actually one of the expected binary names
+            if env_path.name.lower() in [n.lower() for n in allowed_names]:
+                return {"found": True, "source": "env", "path": str(env_path)}
+        # directory — look inside
+        if env_path.is_dir():
+            for name in allowed_names:
+                candidate = env_path / name
+                if candidate.is_file():
+                    return {"found": True, "source": "env", "path": str(candidate)}
+        return {"found": False, "source": None, "path": None}
+
+    # 2 — system PATH
+    for name in allowed_names:
+        which_result = shutil.which(name)
+        if which_result:
+            return {"found": True, "source": "path", "path": which_result}
+
+    # 3 — bundled
+    # Optimize search by checking common subdirectories (GLPK, CBC) first
+    bundled_dir = Config.SOLVERs_FOLDER
+    # Subdirs to check to avoid full recursive scan of a large SOLVERs_FOLDER
+    search_dirs = [bundled_dir]
+    if binary_name.lower() == "glpsol":
+        search_dirs.append(bundled_dir / "GLPK")
+    elif binary_name.lower() == "cbc":
+        search_dirs.append(bundled_dir / "COIN-OR")
+        search_dirs.append(bundled_dir / "cbc")
+
+    for s_dir in search_dirs:
+        if not s_dir.exists():
+            continue
+        for name in allowed_names:
+            # Check shallowly first to avoid rglob complexity when possible
+            candidate = s_dir / name
+            if candidate.is_file():
+                return {"found": True, "source": "bundled", "path": str(candidate)}
+
+            # Only rglob if we haven't found it (rglob is expensive)
+            # We limit to first match if rglob is used
+            for r_candidate in s_dir.rglob(name):
+                if r_candidate.is_file():
+                    return {"found": True, "source": "bundled", "path": str(r_candidate)}
+                break
+
+    return {"found": False, "source": None, "path": None}
+
+
+def _binary_names(binary_name):
+    """Return list of possible binary filenames for the current platform."""
+    names = [binary_name]
+    if platform.system() == "Windows" and not binary_name.lower().endswith(".exe"):
+        names.insert(0, binary_name + ".exe")
+    return names
+
+
+@health_api.route("/api/health", methods=['GET'])
+def healthCheck():
+    """Basic liveness and readiness check — confirms the Flask backend is healthy."""
+    try:
+        # verify DataStorage is accessible and writable
+        storage_ok = Config.DATA_STORAGE.is_dir() and os.access(Config.DATA_STORAGE, os.W_OK)
+
+        response = {
+            "status": "ok" if storage_ok else "error",
+            "platform": platform.system(),
+            "architecture": platform.machine(),
+            "python": platform.python_version(),
+            "dataStorage": "writable" if storage_ok else "error"
+        }
+
+        if not storage_ok:
+            return jsonify(response), 503
+
+        return jsonify(response), 200
+    except Exception as e:
+        logging.error(f"Health check failed: {e}")
+        return jsonify({"status": "error", "message": "Failed to perform system health check"}), 500
+
+
+@health_api.route("/api/health/solvers", methods=['GET'])
+def solverStatus():
+    """Report availability of GLPK and CBC solvers on this machine.
+
+    Uses simple module variables to avoid repeated disk scans during high-frequency polling.
+    """
+    global _SOLVER_CACHE_DATA, _SOLVER_CACHE_TIME
+    try:
+        # Check cache
+        current_time = time.time()
+        if _SOLVER_CACHE_DATA and (current_time - _SOLVER_CACHE_TIME < CACHE_TTL):
+            return jsonify(_SOLVER_CACHE_DATA), 200
+
+        glpk = _check_solver("glpsol", "SOLVER_GLPK_PATH")
+        cbc = _check_solver("cbc", "SOLVER_CBC_PATH")
+
+        response = {
+            "glpk": glpk,
+            "cbc": cbc,
+            "anyAvailable": glpk["found"] or cbc["found"]
+        }
+
+        _SOLVER_CACHE_DATA = response
+        _SOLVER_CACHE_TIME = current_time
+
+        return jsonify(response), 200
+    except Exception as e:
+        logging.error(f"Solver health check failed: {e}")
+        return jsonify({"status": "error", "message": "Failed to perform solver health check"}), 500
diff --git a/API/Routes/System/__init__.py b/API/Routes/System/__init__.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..e69de29bb
diff --git a/API/app.py b/API/app.py
index 76528a1a8..ff215c36f 100644
--- a/API/app.py
+++ b/API/app.py
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@
 from Routes.Case.SyncS3Route import syncs3_api
 from Routes.Case.ViewDataRoute import viewdata_api
 from Routes.DataFile.DataFileRoute import datafile_api
+from Routes.System.HealthRoute import health_api
 
 #RADI
 # -------------------------
@@ -63,6 +64,7 @@
 app.register_blueprint(viewdata_api)
 app.register_blueprint(datafile_api)
 app.register_blueprint(syncs3_api)
+app.register_blueprint(health_api)
 
 CORS(app)
 
diff --git a/tests/test_health.py b/tests/test_health.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..0988f7091
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/test_health.py
@@ -0,0 +1,139 @@
+"""Tests for the /api/health and /api/health/solvers endpoints."""
+
+import json
+import sys
+from pathlib import Path
+from unittest.mock import patch
+
+import pytest
+
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+# Make sure the API package is importable when running from the repo root.
+# The Flask app expects to run from inside API/, so we add that to sys.path
+# the same way the start scripts do.
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+API_DIR = Path(__file__).resolve().parents[1] / "API"
+if str(API_DIR) not in sys.path:
+    sys.path.insert(0, str(API_DIR))
+
+from app import app  # noqa: E402
+from Routes.System import HealthRoute  # noqa: E402
+
+
+@pytest.fixture
+def client():
+    """Flask test client with testing mode enabled."""
+    app.config["TESTING"] = True
+    with app.test_client() as c:
+        yield c
+
+
+@pytest.fixture(autouse=True)
+def reset_health_cache(monkeypatch):
+    """Ensure every test runs on a clean environment/cache.
+
+    Copilot Review point: Ensure solver env vars are cleared so tests
+    deterministically use the mocked shutil.which or bundled paths.
+    """
+    monkeypatch.setattr(HealthRoute, "_SOLVER_CACHE_DATA", {})
+    monkeypatch.setattr(HealthRoute, "_SOLVER_CACHE_TIME", 0.0)
+    # Clear environment variables so they don't interfere with PATH/bundled tests
+    for var in ["SOLVER_GLPK_PATH", "SOLVER_CBC_PATH"]:
+        monkeypatch.delenv(var, raising=False)
+
+
+# ── /api/health ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+
+class TestHealthEndpoint:
+
+    def test_returns_200_when_healthy(self, client):
+        resp = client.get("/api/health")
+        assert resp.status_code == 200
+
+    def test_returns_503_when_storage_unwritable(self, client):
+        """Copilot Review point: Return non-200 when storage is degraded."""
+        with patch("Routes.System.HealthRoute.Config") as mock_cfg:
+            import tempfile
+            with tempfile.TemporaryDirectory() as tmpdir:
+                # Mock a directory that exists but we'll make reports as unwritable
+                # (Easiest way in this context is to mock os.access or just the dir check result)
+                mock_cfg.DATA_STORAGE = Path(tmpdir)
+                with patch("Routes.System.HealthRoute.os.access", return_value=False):
+                    resp = client.get("/api/health")
+
+        assert resp.status_code == 503
+        data = json.loads(resp.data)
+        assert data["status"] == "error"
+        assert data["dataStorage"] == "error"
+
+    def test_response_contains_required_fields(self, client):
+        resp = client.get("/api/health")
+        data = json.loads(resp.data)
+        assert data["status"] == "ok"
+        assert "platform" in data
+        assert "python" in data
+        assert "architecture" in data
+        assert "dataStorage" in data
+
+    def test_python_version_looks_valid(self, client):
+        resp = client.get("/api/health")
+        data = json.loads(resp.data)
+        # should be something like "3.11.9"
+        parts = data["python"].split(".")
+        assert len(parts) >= 2
+        assert int(parts[0]) >= 3
+
+
+# ── /api/health/solvers ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+
+class TestSolverStatusEndpoint:
+
+    def test_returns_200(self, client):
+        resp = client.get("/api/health/solvers")
+        assert resp.status_code == 200
+
+    def test_response_has_solver_keys(self, client):
+        resp = client.get("/api/health/solvers")
+        data = json.loads(resp.data)
+        assert "glpk" in data
+        assert "cbc" in data
+        assert "anyAvailable" in data
+
+    def test_solver_entry_shape(self, client):
+        """Each solver entry should have found/source/path keys."""
+        resp = client.get("/api/health/solvers")
+        data = json.loads(resp.data)
+        for solver_key in ("glpk", "cbc"):
+            entry = data[solver_key]
+            assert "found" in entry
+            assert "source" in entry
+            assert "path" in entry
+
+    @patch("Routes.System.HealthRoute.shutil.which")
+    def test_glpk_found_on_path(self, mock_which, client):
+        """When glpsol is on PATH, glpk should report found=True."""
+        def side_effect(name):
+            if name in ("glpsol", "glpsol.exe"):
+                return "/usr/bin/glpsol"
+            return None
+        mock_which.side_effect = side_effect
+
+        resp = client.get("/api/health/solvers")
+        data = json.loads(resp.data)
+        assert data["glpk"]["found"] is True
+        assert data["glpk"]["source"] == "path"
+
+    @patch("Routes.System.HealthRoute.shutil.which", return_value=None)
+    def test_no_solvers_reports_false(self, mock_which, client):
+        """When no solver is found anywhere, anyAvailable should be False."""
+        # also need to make sure bundled dir scan finds nothing
+        with patch("Routes.System.HealthRoute.Config") as mock_cfg:
+            # point SOLVERs_FOLDER to a temp dir that has nothing
+            import tempfile
+            with tempfile.TemporaryDirectory() as tmpdir:
+                mock_cfg.SOLVERs_FOLDER = Path(tmpdir)
+                mock_cfg.DATA_STORAGE = Path(tmpdir)
+                resp = client.get("/api/health/solvers")
+
+        data = json.loads(resp.data)
+        assert data["anyAvailable"] is False