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Making financial markets work healthily for the poor
01.03.2016
The financial sector has been an early site for the development and application of market development approaches, since the work of FinMark Trust in the early 2000s. But how does one know when a financial market is working well for the poor? Work to date has followed a clear theory of change based on increasing access to and usage of financial products through changing market systems. As poor customers use financial services, so they should be protected against shocks and enabled to climb out of poverty, in the process deepening and extending the financial system. However, as the goal of promoting financial inclusion has become mainstream policy in many countries, it has also become clearer that indicators of access and usage alone are necessary but not sufficient indicators of success. This paper seeks to highlight and present early results from an alternative application of a systemic approach which extends the linkages from access and usage to welfare changes which result, using the lens of financial health of users. This lens may have significant implications for focusing interventions and measurement in making markets work for the poor (M4P) programmes, emphasizing behaviour change over a narrow product focus only. -
Customer satisfaction in microfinance institutions: insights from Ghana
01.09.2020
With increased competition in the African microfinance industry, customer satisfaction and retention are important issues for microfinance institutions (MFIs) in the region. We rely on survey data from customers of MFIs in Ghana to examine the potential determinants of customer satisfaction in the microfinance sector. We find customer satisfaction to be significantly related to customers’ experiences and motivations such as the size of credit they seek. We further find customers’ demographics such as educational attainment and household income levels to be related to customer satisfaction in the microfinance sector. Our results are largely consistent with the view that MFIs offer a valuable service by expanding access of small credits to poor households and microenterprises who are either denied credit by the formal banking sector or exploited by informal moneylenders. Further, our interviews with managers of MFIs highlight various tactics utilized by MFIs in Ghana to manage their credit risks. -
Chlorination of drinking water in emergencies: a review of knowledge to develop recommendations for implementation and research needed
01.01.2017
Clean water provision is a critical component of emergency response, and chlorination is widely used in emergencies to treat water. To provide responders with practical, evidence-based recommendations for implementing chlorination programmes and recommend areas for future research, we conducted a literature review of chlorination in emergencies, supplemented with a literature review on chlorination in general. We identified 106 total documents, including 7 with information on technical efficacy, 26 on chlorine dosage, 22 on technical challenges, 21 on product options, 8 on user acceptability, 33 on programmes for emergencies, and 8 on monitoring. We found that: 1) international chlorine dosage recommendations in emergencies are highly inconsistent; 2) high-quality information from the general chlorination literature on challenges of chlorination can be adapted for emergencies; 3) many chlorine products are available for use in point-of-delivery, point-of-source, and point-of-use emergency-response programmes; 4) information on the effectiveness of different chlorination programmes in emergencies varies, ranging from little data available to high-quality data that can inform programming; 5) information on user acceptability of chlorination in emergencies is lacking; and 6) monitoring data on chlorine programme effectiveness in emergencies are lacking. In this manuscript, we provide a summary of knowledge on chlorination in emergencies, recommendations for programme implementation, and recommendations for future research needed to assist communities and agencies responding to the increasing number of natural disasters and outbreaks worldwide. -
Menstrual management in low-income countries: needs and trends
01.04.2013
Access to appropriate facilities for menstrual hygiene and management (MHM) is recognized as a neglected need within the sanitation sector globally. However, little is known about the magnitude or trajectory of this need. Further, the particular services and facilities required to meet MHM needs depend on the practices and products employed by women and girls. We use nationally representative data from 58 low and lower-middle income countries to estimate that 800 million women in such countries menstruate regularly. Positive correlations between menstruation and nutritional status, as well as menstruation and household wealth, imply a growing need for menstrual management solutions as poverty declines, but both effects are dwarfed by the impact of declining fertility rates. Data on imports of disposable menstrual products reveal exponential growth in their use in low and especially lower-middle income countries. This trend is likely to continue as incomes grow and markets develop, making ever greater the need for provision of appropriate disposal facilities. -
Reviews and Resources
01.04.2008
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Relationship between water, sanitation, hygiene, and nutrition: what do Link NCA nutrition causal analyses say?
01.10.2017
Defined by UNICEF as ‘the outcome of insufficient food intake and repeated infectious diseases’, undernutrition is one of the world’s most serious problems, with long-lasting harmful impacts on health and devastating consequences for social and economic development. The three main underlying causes of undernutrition, namely unsuitable or insufficient food intake, poor care practices, and infectious diseases, are directly or indirectly related to inadequate access to water, sanitation facilities, and hygiene practices (WASH). There is a growing base of evidence showing the links between poor WASH conditions, especially exposure to poor sanitation, and stunting (low height for age ratio). However, the effects of WASH interventions on wasting (low weight for height ratio) and the impact of environmental enteric dysfunction (chronic infection of small intestine caused by extended exposure to faecal pathogens) on undernutrition should be explored further. Action Against Hunger (Action Contre la Faim) promotes a participatory nutrition causal analysis, the Link NCA methodology, which is used to analyse complex, dynamic, locally specific causes of undernutrition. This article aims to assess the main findings from 12 most recent Link NCA studies, conducted from the beginning of 2014 until the end of 2016. Results show that inadequate WASH conditions are often identified as major contributors to undernutrition in the study areas. The article also provides lessons learned and a set of practical recommendations for better alignment and integration of WASH and nutrition interventions. -
Some reflections on smallholder agriculture, microinsurance, and rural development
01.12.2014
If microinsurance is considered a frontier business, then agricultural microinsurance is at the extreme frontier of this market. Two papers were recently published and take a deeper look at this sector, broadening the perspective both on the historical context, including agricultural insurance in advanced economies, as well as on typical constraints impacting smallholders’ investment decisions and challenges faced during implementation. This article reviews and synthesizes these two papers, highlighting and expanding on some of the key issues. It concludes that agricultural microinsurance projects should put the smallholder at the centre, starting from a thorough analysis of the constraints landscape and clearly improving customer value. Further, improved agricultural microinsurance products should be embedded into a broader risk management and service package in order to increase value and demand. Before advocating more public subsidies for premiums, these should be subject to a cost–benefit analysis. Improved monitoring, evaluation, and documentation of current projects should inform future activities in this important field.