ABSTRACT
In this chapter, we focus on microfinance-plus. Microfinance consists of a broadly defined set of financial services including microcredit, microdeposits and microinsurance products. Microfinance packages can additionally include different types of non-financial services, also known as ‘microfinance-plus.’ We describe how microfinance can improve access to health(care) services and explain microfinance institutions’ rationales for formally facilitating it. We outline microfinance programmes’ evolution and the different health-related financial and non-financial products currently offered by microfinance institutions. We also present an overview of the academic literature on the causal pathways between these programmes and borrowers’ health outcomes. Finally, we summarise the main innovations triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic.
