Michael Marx is professor for international public health at the Institute of Public Health of the University of Heidelberg. He is a MD, specialised in Internal Medicine, Tropical Medicine and Public Health. He is Director of evaplan ltd. at the University of Heidelberg, a consulting platform for international health at the University. He has 30 years of working experience in health systems development and research, in management of health programs, carrying out evaluations, operational research and training in more than 20 African countries and in various Asian countries such as China, Indonesia, India, and Vietnam. He has been working 5 years in Burundi as clinical director of a district hospital and for 5 years as public health advisor and programme manager of a regional health project in Guinea on behalf of GTZ. During the last 15 years he was involved in large health systems research projects- funded by EU, WHO, BMBF- in India, Vietnam, Indonesia, the Philippines and various African countries. He is co editor of a special volume of Global Health Action, has authored several book chapters, more than 150 scientific articles, consultation reports and reviews. His particular interest lies in health system research focussing on quality improvement of health services, Infection-Prevention Control, and public health in disaster situations.