London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine

During a 40-year career, Professor Dame Anne Mills has become a worldwide authority on health economics and in particular how to create efficient and equitable health systems in low and middle income countries.

The official citation for the honour praises Professor Mills for her "pioneering research in the development of health economics in low and middle income countries which has had a beneficial impact on many lives as part of a lifelong career helping improve health for those who need it most".

Professor Mills joined the School as a lecturer in 1979, having previously worked at the Ministry of Health in Malawi as economist, and at the University of Leeds researching the operation of the NHS planning system in the UK. She completed her PhD on malaria in Nepal, and has since held numerous research grants and senior positions. In 2011 she was appointed Vice Director for Academic Affairs (renamed Deputy Director & Provost earlier this year), deputy to the Director within the School's Senior Leadership Team. She continues to research, publish and teach as Professor of Health Economics and Policy in the Department of Global Health and Development.

She said: "I feel truly honoured and delighted to receive this honour. As an economist and social scientist, it is particularly pleasing as people don't always think of the important role these disciplines can play in improving health.

"I am grateful to all the fantastic colleagues both here and overseas that I have worked with for many years, and look forward to continuing our efforts as there is still much to do to make progress to universal health coverage.

"I also want to acknowledge the crucial support I have received from my family, and their tolerance of travel and frequent multi-tasking."

The School's Director, Professor Peter Piot said: "I am delighted that Anne has been honoured in this way and it is thoroughly well-deserved. She is respected around the world as an outstanding researcher and academic leader, making numerous highly significant contributions to health economics, policy and financing. I also have great admiration for her as a colleague at the School, where she is an invaluable asset as a senior manager and my deputy."

Previous prestigious honours and awards conferred on Professor Mills include a CBE for services to medicine in 2006; in 2009 she was elected Fellow of the UK Academy of Medical Sciences; and in 2013 she was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society.

Chris Whitty, Professor of Public and International Health (currently seconded as Chief Scientific Advisor at the Department for International Development), was also awarded a Companion of the Order of the Bath for public and voluntary service to Tropical Medicine in the UK and Africa.

Several School Alumni were also awarded honours.