School of Social and Political Science

Background

Mark Hellowell is Programme Director of the BMedSci Global Health Policy. He is also Course Organiser for the on-campus and online courses in Health Systems Analysis (at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels). He holds a PhD in Global Health, an MSc in Economic Policy, an MSc in Public Policy, and a PGCert in Teaching.

His publications include the following:

• Hellowell, M., Kalendruz, K., Bondar, T., Ganyukov, O. and Habicht, J. (2026) ‘Health System Response and Recovery in Ukraine after Three Years of War: Perspectives of Front-Line Communities and Internally Displaced Persons’, Health Policy and Planning, https://doi.org/10.1093/heapol/czag049 
• Hellowell, M., Kasyanchuk, S., Habicht, T., Azzopardi Muscat, N. and Habicht, J. (2026) ‘A window for reform? Harnessing war-time recovery to transform health care in Ukraine’, BMJ. Available at: https://www.bmj.com/content/392/bmj-2025-086343 
• Berardi, C., Hellowell, M. and Varkevisser, M. (2026) ‘A typology of private investor-ownership in health service provision and related regulatory frameworks in five countries’, Health Economics, Policy and Law, pp. 1–20. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1017/S1744133125100297 
• Tvaliashvili, M., Hellowell, M., Roubal, T., Zoidze, A. and Clarke, D. (2025) ‘Private provision of health services in Georgia: a qualitative exploration of governance behaviours’, BMJ Global Health. Available at: https://gh.bmj.com/content/10/12/e018922 
• Habicht, T., Kasekamp, K., Litvinova, Y. and Hellowell, M. (2025) ‘The role of EU funds in capital investment for health-care: a case study of Estonia’s approach to provider network transformation, 2004–2024’, Health Policy. Available at: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S016885102500260X 
• Smith, K., Hellowell, M., Logo, D., Marten, R. and Singh, A. (2025) ‘New health taxes in Ghana: a qualitative study exploring potential public support’, Health Policy and Planning. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1093/heapol/czaf042 
• Hellowell, M. and Kalendruz, K. (2025) Community perspectives on health system responses and recovery efforts in the war-affected areas of Ukraine: voices from the front line. Copenhagen: WHO Regional Office for Europe. Available at: https://www.who.int/ukraine/publications/i/item/WHO-EURO-2025-11871-51643-78951 
• Hellowell, M., Tvaliashvili, M., Roubal, T. and Zoidze, A. (2025) Governance of the private health sector in Georgia: a situation analysis using WHO’s Progression Pathway for Governance of Mixed Health Systems. Copenhagen: WHO Regional Office for Europe. Available at: https://iris.who.int/handle/10665/381681 
• Hellowell, M. (2025) Unlocking investment for the transformation of Ukraine’s health-care network. Copenhagen: WHO Regional Office for Europe. Available at: https://www.who.int/europe/publications/i/item/WHO-EURO-2025-12235-52007-79785 
• Hellowell, M., Demeshko, O., Hrevtsova, R., Roubal, T., Fishchuk, K., Kasyanchuk, S. and Habicht, J. (2025) ‘Private provision of health services in Ukraine: a qualitative exploration of current policy challenges, and considerations for reform’, Health Policy. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.healthpol.2025.105349 
• Ahmedov, M. and Hellowell, M. (2025) Accelerating progress towards universal health coverage (UHC) in Uzbekistan: a proposal for a National Health System Strategy 2030. Washington, DC: World Bank. Available at: https://documents.worldbank.org/en/publication/documents-reports/documentdetail/099042525031049395 
• Hellowell, M. (2025) Progression pathway for governance of mixed health systems. Geneva: World Health Organization. Available at: https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240092051 
• Hellowell, M. (2025) Purchasing health care from the private sector: a primer for middle-income countries in the WHO European Region. Copenhagen: WHO Regional Office for Europe. Available at: https://iris.who.int/bitstream/handle/10665/380993/WHO-EURO-2025-11654-51426-78470-eng.pdf?sequence=1 
• Palu, T., Kutzin, J., Hellowell, M. et al. (2024) Health financing in Ukraine: reform, resilience and recovery. Copenhagen: WHO Regional Office for Europe. Available at: https://www.who.int/europe/publications/i/item/WHO-EURO-2024-10570-50342-75964 
• Goodman, C., Witter, S., Hellowell, M. et al. (2024) ‘Approaches, enablers and barriers to govern the private sector in health in low- and middle-income countries: a scoping review’, BMJ Global Health, 8(Suppl. 5), e015771. Available at: https://gh.bmj.com/content/8/Suppl_5/e015771 
• Habicht, J., Hellowell, M. and Kutzin, J. (2024) ‘Sustaining progress towards universal health coverage amidst a full-scale war: learning from Ukraine’, Health Policy and Planning. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1093/heapol/czae041 
• Goodman, C., Witter, S., Hellowell, M. et al. (2024) Governance of the private healthcare sector in low- and middle-income countries: a scoping review of approaches, effectiveness, and enablers. Geneva: World Health Organization. Available at: https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240093522 
• Hellowell, M., Fishchuk, K. and Kasyanchuk, S. (2024) Voices from the front line: perspectives on health system response and recovery in the war-affected areas of Ukraine. Geneva: World Health Organization. Available at: https://www.who.int/ukraine/publications/m/item/voices-from-the-front-line-perspectives-on-health-system-response-and-recovery-in-the-war-affected-areas-of-ukraine 
• Kasekamp, K., Habicht, T., Demeshko, O., Hawkins, L. and Hellowell, M. (2023) Primary health care financing in Ukraine: a situation analysis and policy considerations. Copenhagen: World Health Organization. Available at: https://www.who.int/europe/publications/i/item/WHO-EURO-2023-8138-47906-70792 
• Hellowell, M. and Fishchuk, K. (2023) Case studies of health system recovery in Ukraine: focus on the role of the private sector. Copenhagen: World Health Organization. Available at: https://www.who.int/europe/publications/i/item/WHO-EURO-2023-7706-47473-69781 
• Hellowell, M. (2023) Private provision of health services in Ukraine: current challenges, future directions. Copenhagen: World Health Organization. Available at: https://www.who.int/europe/publications/i/item/WHO-EURO-2023-7625-47392-69619 
• Hellowell, M. (2023) Public–private partnerships for health care infrastructure and services: policy considerations for middle-income countries in Europe. Geneva: World Health Organization. Available at: https://apps.who.int/iris/handle/10665/365603 
• Smith, K. and Hellowell, M. (2023) ‘Managing the politics of earmarked health taxes’, in Lauer, J., Sassi, F., Soucat, A. and Vigo, A. (eds.) Health taxes: a policy and practice guide. Geneva: World Health Organization. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1142/q0365 
• Singh, A., Smith, K., Hellowell, M. et al. (2023) ‘An exploration of stakeholder views and perceptions on taxing tobacco, alcohol and sugar-sweetened beverages in Ghana’, BMJ Global Health, 8, e012054. Available at: https://gh.bmj.com/content/8/Suppl_8/e012054 
• Hellowell, M. and Nayna Schwerdtle (2022) ‘Powerful ideas? Decolonisation and the future of global health’, BMJ Global Health, 7, e006924. Available at: https://gh.bmj.com/content/7/1/e006924 
• Hellowell, M. (2019) ‘Are public-private partnerships the future of healthcare delivery in sub-Saharan Africa? Lessons from Lesotho’, BMJ Global Health. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjgh-2018-001217 
• Hellowell, M., Stapleton, P. and Stafford, A. (2019) ‘Austerity and hospitals in deficit: is PPP termination the answer?’, Abacus. Available at: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/abac.12163 
• Wenham, C., Katz, R., Buringi, C., Hellowell, M., Boden, L., Eccleston-Turner, M. and Gostin, L. et al. (2018) ‘Global health security and universal health coverage: from a marriage of convenience to a strategic, effective partnership’, BMJ Global Health. https://gh.bmj.com/content/4/1/e001145 
• Hellowell, M. (2018) ‘Delivering healthcare infrastructure and services through public private partnerships – the Lesotho case’, in Gil, N.A.P., Stafford, A. and Musonda, I. (eds.) Achieving collective ends with limited resources: Africa’s struggle to bridge the infrastructure gap. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
• Hellowell, M., Appleby, J. and Taylor, M. (2018) ‘What models of funding are best for a healthy and just society?’, BMJ, https://www.bmj.com/content/361/bmj.k2566 
• Vecchi, V. and Hellowell, M. (2018) Public-private partnerships in health: improving infrastructure and technology. Cham: Palgrave Macmillan. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-69563-1 
• Wright, A., Smith, K.E. and Hellowell, M. (2017) ‘Policy lessons from health taxes: a systematic review of empirical studies’, BMC Public Health. Available at: https://bmcpublichealth.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12889-017-4497-z 
• Hellowell, M., Smith, K.E. and Wright, A. (2016) ‘Hard to avoid but difficult to sustain: Scotland’s innovative health tax on large retailers selling tobacco and alcohol’, The Milbank Quarterly. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1111/1468-0009.12200 
• Biro, A. and Hellowell, M. (2016) ‘Public-private sector interactions and the demand for supplementary health insurance in the United Kingdom’, Health Policy. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.healthpol.2016.05.002 
• Boardman, A. and Hellowell, M. (2016) ‘A comparative analysis and evaluation of specialist PPP units’ methodologies for conducting value for money appraisals’, Journal of Comparative Policy Analysis. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1080/13876988.2016.1190083 
• Hellowell, M. (2016) ‘The price of certainty: benefits and costs of public–private partnerships for healthcare infrastructure and related services?’, Health Services Management Research. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1177/0951484816639742 
• Hellowell, M. (2015) ‘Analysis: Borrowing to save: can NHS bodies ease financial pressures by terminating PFI contracts?’, BMJ. Available at: http://www.bmj.com/bmj/section-pdf/903129/6 
• Hellowell, M. and Ralston, M. (2015) ‘The equity implications of health system change in the UK’, in Smith, K., Hill, S. and Bambra, C. (eds.) Health inequalities: critical perspectives. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198703358.003.0011 
• Colla, P., Hellowell, M., Vecchi, V. and Gatti, S. (2015) ‘Determinants of the cost of capital for privately financed hospital projects in the UK’, Health Policy. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.healthpol.2015.08.018 
• Hellowell, M. and Vecchi, V. (2015) ‘The non-incremental road to disaster? Agency problems in the commissioning of infrastructure projects in the UK and Italy’, Journal of Comparative Policy Analysis. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1080/13876988.2015.1016773 
• Hellowell, M., Vecchi, V. and Caselli, S. (2015) ‘Return of the state? An appraisal of policies to enhance access to credit for infrastructure-based PPPs’, Public Money and Management. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1080/09540962.2015.986896 
• Hellowell, M. (2014) The return of PFI – will the NHS pay a higher price for new hospitals? London: The Centre for Health and the Public Interest. Available at: https://www.chpi.org.uk/reports/return-pfi-will-nhs-pay-higher-price-new-hospitals 
• Hellowell, M. (2013) ‘PFI redux? Assessing a new model for financing hospitals’, Health Policy, 113(1–2), pp. 77–85. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.healthpol.2013.09.008 
• Vecchi, V., Hellowell, M. and Gatti, S. (2013) ‘Does the private sector receive an excessive return from investments in health care infrastructure projects? Evidence from the UK’, Health Policy, 110(2), pp. 243–270. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.healthpol.2012.12.010 
• Vecchi, V. and Hellowell, M. (2013) ‘Leasing by public authorities in Italy: creating economic value from a balance sheet illusion’, Public Money & Management, 33(1), pp. 63–70. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1080/09540962.2013.744896 
• Vecchi, V. and Hellowell, M. (2012) ‘Securing a better deal from investors in public infrastructure projects: insights from capital budgeting’, Public Management Review. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1080/14719037.2012.686232 
• Hellowell, M. and Vecchi, V. (2012) ‘What return for risk? The price of equity capital in public-private partnerships’, in Greve, C. and Hodge, G. (eds.) Rethinking public-private partnerships: strategies for turbulent times. Abingdon, Oxon and New York, NY: Routledge.
• Smith, K. and Hellowell, M. (2012) ‘Beyond rhetorical differences: a cohesive account of post-devolution developments in health policy’, Social Policy and Administration, 46(2), pp. 178–198. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9515.2011.00830.x 
• Hellowell, M. and Vecchi, V. (2012) ‘An evaluation of the projected returns to investors on 10 PFI projects commissioned by the National Health Service’, Financial Accountability and Management, 28(1), pp. 77–100. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1468-0408.2011.00537.x 
• Vecchi, V., Hellowell, M. and Longo, F. (2010) ‘Are Italian healthcare organisations paying too much for their public private partnerships?’, Public Money and Management, 30(2), pp. 125–132. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1080/09540961003665586 
• Hellowell, M. and Pollock, A.M. (2010) ‘Do PPPs in social infrastructure enhance the public interest?’, Australian Journal of Public Administration, 69(S1), pp. S23–S34. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-8500.2009.00658.x 
• Hellowell, M. (2010) ‘The private finance initiative: policy, performance and prospects’, in Hodge, G., Greve, C. and Boardman, A. (eds.) International handbook on public-private partnerships. Cheltenham: Edward Elgar.
• Hellowell, M. and Pollock, A.M. (2009) ‘The private financing of NHS hospitals: politics, policy and practice’, Economic Affairs, 29(1), pp. 13–19. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1468-0270.2009.01861.x 
• Hellowell, M. and Pollock, A.M. (2009) ‘Non-profit distribution: the Scottish approach to private finance in public services’, Social Policy and Society, 8(3), pp. 405–418. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1017/S1474746409004928 
• Hellowell, M. and Pollock, A.M. (2007) ‘The PFI: Scotland’s plan for expansion and its implications’, Public Money and Management, 27(5), pp. 351–355. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9302.2007.00607.x