Table 6

Total medical expenditure (mean and SD) per disease episode in US$ by place of residence and region

Place of residenceRegion
DiagnosisUrbanRuralAmharaSNNPROromiaTigrayAddis Ababa
No. of observations411 (60%)274 (40%)125 (18%)105 (15%)196 (29%)146 (21%)114 (17%)
Pneumonia*8.66 (12.58)4.36 (6.35)2.07 (1.60)5.26 (4.08)7.23 (10.58)9.21 (10.53)12.30 (18.74)
Diarrhoea*6.51 (9.81)2.99 (3.94)2.36 (3.71)3.73 (3.24)4.55 (6.98)6.65 (8.83)7.97 (13.56)
Severe pneumonia91.01 (75.52)48.35 (39.06)34.11 (12.85)25.47 (9.02)53.34 (35.83)45.86 (15.66)126.03 (77.34)
Severe diarrhoea98.81 (83.40)59.08 (78.75)16.30 (3.37)58.51 (54.60)10.75146.59 (82.53)
  • *For both conditions, medical costs per episode were three to six times greater in Addis Ababa compared with Amhara region. The regional differences were statistically significant for both conditions (p<0.002).

  • SNNPR, Southern Nations Nationalities and People Region.