Health-care investments for the urban populations, Bangladesh and India.

Objective: To estimate the costs and mortality reductions of a package of essential health interventions for urban populations in Bangladesh and India.

Methods: We used population data from the countries' censuses and United Nations Population Division. For causes of mortality in India, we used the Indian Million Death Study.

Social health insurance in a developing country: the case of the Philippines.

Very little is known about the Philippine health care system, and in particular its experience with social health insurance (SHI). Having initiated an SHI programme 35 years ago, the Philippines hold many lessons for the development of such schemes in other low and middle-income countries. We analyse the challenges currently facing PhilHealth, the national health insurer.