This study uses the contingent valuation method to examine intrahousehold allocation of preventive health care in the Tigray region of Ethiopia. In addition to being one of the first applications of contingent valuation to the health sector in a developing country, the study examines intrafamily distribution, an issue of great concern to population and development agencies. The results have implications for the design and success of policies or programs that target particular classes of individuals , such as women or children. Targeted approaches have been bolstered by recent empirical findings that demonstrate a strong positive association between child well-being and a mother’s control over the family’s resources. In the first part of the paper we compare and contrast cost of illness estimates with the results from a contingent valuation study for malaria prevention. Several hypotheses about intrahousehold allocation of resources are developed and tested using a common preference framework and contingent valuation data.