FRONTESPIZIO - Cooperazione Italiana allo Sviluppo

Essential medicines save lives, reduce suffering, and improve the functioning andwell-being of people who have access to them. On the population level, access toaffordable and appropriately used high-quality medicines boosts productivity andeconomic 6. Using output. indicators to measure the pharmaceutical sector in Ethiopia 91Many factors determine access to essential medicines. Access can vary between urbanand ruralManyareasfactorsbecausedetermineof problemsaccess towithessentialhealthmedicines.system development.Access can varyPharmacies,betweenurban and rural areas because of problems with health system develop-medicines distributors, health facilities, and public and private health providers areusually concentrated in cities and regional centres.The ment. retail prices Pharmacies, of essential medicines drugs distributors, can vary health widely. facilities, Reliance and on public distribution and ofmedicines private in health the private providers sector are often usually means concentrated that essential in cities medicines and regional are too centres.patients to afford.expensivefor poorThe retail prices of essential drugs can vary widely. Reliance on distribution4.2 What of medicines is the current in the private situation? sector often means that essential medicines are tooexpensive for poor patients to afford.4.2 What is the current situation?Table 10: Estimated percentage of population with access to essential medicinesTable 10: Estimated by WHO percentage region of population and country with income access to level essential medicinesby WHO region and country income level∞• 72% of of countrieswith < 50% 50% access accessare arein inthe thelow-income low-incomecategory, category, and andoverover half arehalf in Africa. are in Africa.∞• Eight out of of 10 10 countries with with very very high high access access are inare Europe in Europe and theand Americas. theAmericas.4.3 In EthiopiaIn Ethiopia the accessibility of essential drugs is showed in the following tablewhich is part of the assessment made by WHO and FMoH in 2003 as mentionedabove (2).