Richard Smith has been a Health Economist for some 20 years, following undergraduate and postgraduate studies in economics at the University of York. Upon leaving York in 1991, he worked in Sydney, Cambridge, Bristol, Melbourne and Norwich, before joining the School in May 2007. He is also an Honorary Professor of Health Economics at the Universities of Hong Kong and East Anglia, and is an Associate Fellow at The Royal Institute of International Affairs, Chatham House.Richard has worked in a number of areas of health economics, most recently upon developing the application of macro-economics to health, the economics of globalization and health, and aspects of trade in health goods, services, people and ideas. His current interests are broadly in the interaction and interface between a nation's health system and other systems - both within the nation (e.g. tourism, travel and leisure sectors) and between different countries (e.g. through movement of health professionals).Kara Hanson received degrees from McGill University, the University of Cambridge and Harvard University, and has worked at the London School of Hygiene since 1997. She has over 20 years' experience in the field of health economics, combining research and policy advice at the country and international levels. Kara's research has focused mainly on the economics of financing and organising health services in low- and middle-income countries. She has particular interests in the private sector and the role it can play in expanding coverage of essential health interventions, especially in the supply of malaria treatment and prevention. She has also made contributions in the areas of human resources, health financing, and the economics of hospitals. She is co-Research Director of a health systems research consortium funded by the UK Department for International Development, and leads a number of multi-country research programmes in the economics of malaria.

The purpose is to present healthcare systems within the international arena in a nontechnical way to attract a wide range of readers. There are many health systems books on the market. This one focuses on low- and middle-income countries yet makes the content applicable to the world. The fact that it is written in a less technical fashion than most increases its appeal to a wide spectrum of readers.

• SECTION 1: THE 'HEALTH SYSTEM' ; SECTION 2: THE 'HEALTH SECTOR': FINANCING, PURCHASING, PROVISION AND PERFORMANCE ; SECTION 3: HEALTH AND SYSTEMS IN THE WIDER CONTEXT ; SECTION 4: THE FUTURE OF HEALTH SYSTEMS

Richard Smith has been a Health Economist for some 20 years, following undergraduate and postgraduate studies in economics at the University of York. Upon leaving York in 1991, he worked in Sydney, Cambridge, Bristol, Melbourne and Norwich, before joining the School in May 2007. He is also an Honorary Professor of Health Economics at the Universities of Hong Kong and East Anglia, and is an Associate Fellow at The Royal Institute of International Affairs, Chatham House.Richard has worked in a number of areas of health economics, most recently upon developing the application of macro-economics to health, the economics of globalization and health, and aspects of trade in health goods, services, people and ideas. His current interests are broadly in the interaction and interface between a nation's health system and other systems - both within the nation (e.g. tourism, travel and leisure sectors) and between different countries (e.g. through movement of health professionals).Kara Hanson received degrees from McGill University, the University of Cambridge and Harvard University, and has worked at the London School of Hygiene since 1997. She has over 20 years' experience in the field of health economics, combining research and policy advice at the country and international levels. Kara's research has focused mainly on the economics of financing and organising health services in low- and middle-income countries. She has particular interests in the private sector and the role it can play in expanding coverage of essential health interventions, especially in the supply of malaria treatment and prevention. She has also made contributions in the areas of human resources, health financing, and the economics of hospitals. She is co-Research Director of a health systems research consortium funded by the UK Department for International Development, and leads a number of multi-country research programmes in the economics of malaria.

The purpose is to present healthcare systems within the international arena in a nontechnical way to attract a wide range of readers. There are many health systems books on the market. This one focuses on low- and middle-income countries yet makes the content applicable to the world. The fact that it is written in a less technical fashion than most increases its appeal to a wide spectrum of readers.

• SECTION 1: THE 'HEALTH SYSTEM' ; SECTION 2: THE 'HEALTH SECTOR': FINANCING, PURCHASING, PROVISION AND PERFORMANCE ; SECTION 3: HEALTH AND SYSTEMS IN THE WIDER CONTEXT ; SECTION 4: THE FUTURE OF HEALTH SYSTEMS