Abstract
This chapter reviews the context in which health policies are being developed in low and middleincome countries. It discusses several key concepts associated with health policy, and describes some of the tools available for policymaking. In the first part, the role of health policy as a stewardship instrument and the general context in which health policies are being designed and implemented in developing nations are discussed. In the second part, some of the novel tools available for policymaking, including burden of disease, national health accounts, and health system performance assessment are examined. The chapter discusses the increasing international financing for healthcare and the alternatives for achieving universal health coverage with financial protection against catastrophic costs of healthcare. It then analyses the search for equity in health and discuss the role of international agencies and health research in the design and implementation of health policies.