Dr Gillian Turner

Biography

Gillian Turner has more than 25 years experience, as a health economist and health systems specialist in Africa and South Asia, with a focus on addressing poverty and inequity. Her experience encompasses health systems – including health finanicng – reform, sexual and reproductive health and rights, nutrition and wider determinants of health. She has led policy, strategy, and programme development; supported the design of international financing mechanisms; designed and supervised economic and equity research processes; undertaken impact, economic, equity, and process evaluations; designed accountability mechanisms; and led multilateral coordination processes. 

 

Gillian’s experience spans conducting and commissioning economic and equity research, providing and commissioning technical assistance, developing policy (with UK and LMIC governments), and managing funding. She has worked with academic institutions in the UK and overseas, bilateral development partners, multilateral organisations, low and low-middle income country governments, and NGOs. She is enthusiastic about using health economic methods and approaches to contribute to making health systems stronger, more equitable and more resilient, and to foster systems thinking. Gillian is passionate about developing others, and keen to harness and develop the technical skills of experienced and emerging health economists, and to build health economic literacy among non-economists.

Research interests

Gillian’s research interests focus on three main areas. Improving the efficiency and equity of health systems and their resilience in the event of crises. Assessing the cost-effectiveness and equity of approaches to integrated service delivery (including for TB, NTDs, NCDs, sexual, reproductive, maternal, neonatal and child health, and mental health. Understanding the health financing and other system challenges associated with the introduction of new tools and approaches.

Teaching

Gillian teaches Health Economics and Health Financing.

Selected research publications

Evaluating the impact, implementation experience and political economy of primary care networks in Kenya: protocol for a mixed methods study – Journal: Health Research Policy and Systems – Published: 27th January 2025

Evaluating the effectiveness of the National Health Insurance Subsidy Programme within Kenya’s universal health coverage initiative: a study protocol: a study protocol – Journal: BMJ Open – Published: 21st November 2024

A mixed methods study examining the impact of primary health care financing transitions on facility functioning and service delivery in Kenya: a study protocol: a study protocol – Journal: Wellcome Open Research – Published: 24th April 2024

The Impact of a Line Probe Assay Based Diagnostic Algorithm on Time to Treatment Initiation and Treatment Outcomes for Multidrug Resistant TB Patients in Arkhangelsk Region, Russia – Journal: PLoS ONE – Published: 7th April 2016

Patient costs during tuberculosis treatment in Bangladesh and Tanzania: the potential of shorter regimens – Journal: International Journal of Tuberculosis and Lung Disease – Published: 1st July 2014

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