This chapter outlines the book’s purpose and significance, arguing that effective health system governance is essential for a health system’s success while highlighting the need for further research into the strengths and weaknesses of the Kurdistan Region in Iraq’s (KRI’s) governance. It also explores the critical aspects of KRI’s context for health system governance, summarising its political history, current semi-autonomous status within Iraq, socio-economic status, legal framework, and healthcare system. It further elaborates on the specific nature and role of health system governance and evaluates benchmarks of related standards. Additionally, the chapter details the book’s investigative approach, which combines theoretical and empirical methods, including semi-structured interviews with key health sector actors.