In countries like Ethiopia, sudden illnesses have a high risk of translating into serious economic hardship. With limited access to formal credit or insurance markets, unexpected health problems or injuries force poor households to sell their assets or to cut back on their consumption to cover the out-of-pocket health expenditures. In the worst cases, illnesses are not cured and become chronic, destabilizing the earning capacity of the household. (Photo credit: Kalle Hirvonen/IFPRI)
