Comparative Health Policy

Comparative Health Policy, 5th Edition, provides an introductory examination of the funding, provision, and governance of diverse healthcare systems. Written for students of comparative and global health policy, the textbook explores how national contexts influence policy choices and healthcare delivery.

The volume addresses major topics including resource allocation, the health workforce, public health, and care delivered outside hospital settings. Alongside comparisons of established national systems, the 2017 edition added coverage of low- and middle-income countries.

Throughout the text, the analysis contrasts arguments for global policy convergence with evidence that pre-existing national structures and cultures resist uniform paths. It also considers how varying public and private funding combinations shape health systems.