The series, co-edited by RESYST research director Kara Hanson, contains four papers examining the private sector in healthcare in low- and middle-income countries. These settings often contain a highly diverse set of providers all operating privately and for profit such as:
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spiritual and other traditional forms of healing
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unqualified but cheap and accessible drug sellers
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highly technical specialist hospitals
The not-for-profit sector is often also an important actor in the market place. Public providers are often dwarfed by this diverse private sector in terms of the volume of services they deliver, the number of facilities they operate, and the level of finance that is channelled through them.
To launch the new series, LSHTM will host a symposium with:
Richard Horton, The Lancet
Maureen Mackintosh, Open University
Tim Ensor, University of Leeds
Catherine Goodman, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine
Barbara McPake, University of Melbourne
Gerry Bloom, Institute of Development Studies
Simon Wright, Save the Children
Lizzie Smith, Department for International Development
You can watch a recording of the launch here.
