As stated by Philip Stevens, the book s editor, "it is certainly true that far too many people around the world are dying unnecessarily from preventable or curable diseases. But is it true that the world s health is deteriorating as economic globalization accelerates? Are the grand plans and strategies executed by international intergovernmental organizations such as the UN the best way to tackle the myriad health problems faced by the world s poorest people? And why exactly is it that millions of children still die every year from easily preventable illnesses that have long been consigned to history in the West? Are governments the most efficient and equitable suppliers of healthcare, or does the market have a role? This book is an attempt to shed some light on these questions."