There is a growing realisation that citizens of many low and middle income countries rely heavily on private providers of drugs and medical advice. Nearly 60% of total health expenditure on health in low- and middle-income countries is private, rising above 80% in countries such as India, Pakistan, Guinea and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

There is an urgent need to build systematic knowledge about health-seeking behaviour, the performance of non-state providers and the outcomes of different interventions to improve the performance of health markets in meeting the needs of the poor.

The Private Sector in Health Symposium is a biennial event. Since 2009 it has been held in advance of the International Health Economics Association world congress. The Symposium brings together researchers, implementers, donors and policy makers for dialogue and discussion. It is an unparalleled opportunity to hear the best and most recent research and to network with colleagues from around the world.

In addition to the Symposium itself, in the first half of 2013, members of the Symposium's Scientific Advisory Committee will be organising a series of webinars. These will serve as a good introduction to the core themes of the symposium and will lay an important foundation for discussions in Sydney. Find a list of recent and upcoming webinars below to register.