What would a world without disease look like? With the victory against smallpox behind us, polio, malaria and measles each provide their own set of roadblocks as we fight for a world free of epidemic diseases. This might seem a utopian pipe-dream, but that brand new world is a lot closer than you might think.

Writing with the pace of a thriller, Karen Bartlett give us a rare inside look at how both global organisations and local campaigns operate on the frontlines in the war against contagious disease. She reveals why politics will prove to be the final enemy in the fight for global health and how victory in this battle will have profound consequences for the balance of world power and will embolden scientists to make other, even more momentous breakthroughs. Thought-provoking and full of reasons to be hopeful for the future, The Health of Nations is essential reading on one of the greatest challenges we face in the twenty-first century.