Health and Microfinance: Leveraging the Strength of Two Sectors to Alleviate Poverty

This paper summarizes the health-related findings associated with the delivery of multiple health protection products and services designed, developed and tested by Freedom from Hunger and five microfinance institutions (MFIs)—Bandhan (India), CARD (Philippines), CRECER (Bolivia), PADME (Bénin) and RCPB (Burkina Faso) from 2006 through 2009. The purpose was to explore whether it was possible to design and offer health-related options to deliver positive health and other social impact for clients while also being practical, cost-effective and financially sustainable for MFIs.