Introduction
POVILL is a four-year project (2005-2009) under EU 6th Framework, which is aimed at contributing to national and international efforts to reduce the incidence of severe poverty due to illness and improve access to effective health services by poor people, particularly in Asian transitional economies. It is being undertaken by a partnership of ten Asian and European institutions and the field work is in Laos, Cambodia and Hubei and Sichuan Provinces in China.

Research Design
In each location, the methodological approach will be that of in-depth case studies, organised as four integrated sub-projects. The first will assess the impact of different types of illness on different types of household and the effectiveness and consequences of the various coping strategies that they adopt. The second will assess the performance and outcome of health assistance schemes. The third will study how provider performance, particularly regarding use of drugs, contributes to the high cost of care and identify realistic strategies for reducing these costs. The fourth will assess political and institutional influences on policy formulation and implementation.