ABSTRACT
This chapter provides an overview of both the broader microfinance arena and the current evidence on the impact of microfinance on HIV prevention. The available information suggests that the impact of microfinance, as well as the impact of microfinance linked to HIV-prevention programmes in sub-Saharan Africa, show a mixed picture. This is not surprising given the very different contexts in which interventions have been implemented and the varied and sometimes questionable impact of microfinance for the poorest and the less-poor (women and men, older and younger) recipients. While there is little evidence that microfinance alone prevents HIV infections, there is information on unintended outcomes of microfinance as women face HIV-related risks as they struggle to repay debts. Structural changes remain a necessity if HIV prevention and development programmes are to respond to the broader economic and social issues poor women and men face, in Africa and elsewhere.
