Whether health is regarded as a value in itself, or an instrument which aids greater human productivity, the tendency to ignore, conceal or minimise painful truths concerning threats to human health presents a complex problem in need of inter-disciplinary responses. The Health and Illness collection of research streams aim to provide a platform for examining and exploring issues surrounding the ways people experience health issues directly and indirectly, on a personal or professional basis. The impact of health, its presence and its absence, and how human beings regard and engage with it is complex and multi-layered.