Too Poor to be Sick: Coping with the costs of illness in East Hararghe, Ethiopia

This report examines the effects of a decade of health sector reforms in Ethiopia. It demonstrates that the main barrier to healthcare for the vast majority of rural Ethiopians is the high cost of drugs. It also demonstrates how the Special Pharmacies - cornerstones of the reform to improve the availability and affordability of drugs - exclude the majority of potential users. The report makes a series of recommendations for the Ethiopian government and donor agencies.