London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine

Professor Anne Mills, Head of the Department of Public Health and Policy and Professor of Health Economics and Policy at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine has been awarded the 2009 Prince Mahidol Award for outstanding contributions in the field of public health. Professor Mills, renowned globally for her work in health economics and health systems, received her award from HRH Princess Chulabhorn of Thailand at a ceremony at the Grand Palace in Bangkok on January 27th 2010. She joins a body of 51 laureates, of whom only three are women. She is the first female UK laureate, previous UK laureates include David Weatherall, Richard Peto, and Richard Doll.

Professor Mills was awarded the prize for her global leadership in developing the discipline of health economics as a tool for guiding decision making on health in low and middle income countries; her contribution to major global health initiatives including the Commission on Macroeconomics and Health and the Taskforce on Innovative International Financing for Health Systems; and her leadership in capacity development for scientists in low and middle income countries. She has trained generations of health economics researchers in Africa and Asia, including more than 15 Thai PhD students who are in the forefront of Thailand's achievements in universal coverage of health care.

The Prince Mahidol Award Foundation was established by His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej of Thailand in commemoration of the Centenary Birthday Anniversary of His Royal Highness Prince Mahidol of Songkla on January 1st, 1992. It was established in recognition of the Prince's contribution as "The Father of Modern Medicine and Public Health of Thailand."