Tanzania is officially committed to providing medicines free of charge through the public sector, but public facilities regularly have gaps in stock. In addition, approximately 75 percent of all Tanzanians live in rural areas where essential drugs and basic medicines are often not available. Many people in need must spend much of their hard-earned money to buy medicines at duka la dawa baridi (private drug shops) in their communities, and the expense can be staggering. For example, a single course of adult treatment for mild pneumonia can cost 18 to 59 percent of a day's wages.
