Paper

Microfinance and HIV/AIDS: The Role of Donors and Funders

How donors have supported MFIs to serve people living with HIV/AIDS?

This note explores how donors and funders have supported MFIs to better serve people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) and how organizations have used microfinance as a tool to mitigate the impact of HIV/AIDS.Key donors and funders in the HIV/AIDS space include World Bank, Office of the Global AIDS Coordinator (OGAC)/, the United States Presidents Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), the International Finance Corporation (IFC), USAID and Department for International Development (DFID). The paper reviews the work of these donors and funders and recommends that they should continue to:

  • Support MFIs in conducting market research and developing financial products and services that address the constraints of people made vulnerable by HIV/AIDS;
  • Support linkages to social safety net programs developed for PLWHA or the HIV/AIDS affected;
  • Support economic strengthening of orphans and vulnerable children (OVCs) and PLWHA through programs that offer long term links to market-oriented, sustainable microfinance and financial services;
  • Support impact assessment initiatives that determine if microfinance or other non financial services have had an impact on mitigating the impact of HIV/AIDS;
  • Promote partnerships between MFIs and other health and AIDS service organizations to provide complementary services.

About this Publication

By Green, C. & Stark, E.
Published