Does microfinance lead to good health? A Local Average Treatment Effect analysis for rural Malawi

摘要: The significance of the problem of poor health is reflected in the Millennium development goals numbers four, five and six which aim at reducing the child mortality rate, improving maternal health and reducing the prevalence and death rates associated with diseases such as HIV/AIDS, Malaria, Tuberculosis and others by 2015. While the link between microfinance and poverty reduction has become common knowledge, less has been done to unearth the potential of using microfinance as a tool for combating morbidity and mortality.