Health Policy and Planning's aim is to improve the design and implementation of health systems and policies in low- and middle-income countries through providing a forum for publishing high quality research and original ideas, for an audience of policy and public health researchers and practitioners. HPP is published eight times a year.

HPP has a double-blinded peer-review policy. All papers, in each of the categories described below, are peer reviewed.

Specific objectives are to:

• Attract high quality research papers, reviews and debates on topics relevant to health systems and policies in low- and middle-income countries;

• Ensure wide geographical coverage of papers including coverage of the poorest countries and those in transition;

• Encourage and support researchers from low- and middle-income countries to publish in HPP;

• Ensure papers reflect a broad range of disciplines, methodologies and topics;

• Ensure that papers are clearly explained and accessible to readers from the range of disciplines used to analyse health systems and policies; and

• Provide a fair, supportive and high quality peer review process.