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Microfinance Institutions and Gender Health in Sub-Saharan Africa

Author

Listed:
  • Simplice A. Asongu

    (Yaoundé, Cameroon)

  • Joseph Nnanna

    (Abuja, Nigeria)

Abstract

This research examines the nexus between microfinance institutions (MFIs) and gender health. The current study adopts the quantile regression technique, which assesses the linkage between the variables of interest throughout the conditional distribution of gender health performance, to analyze data for 43 Sub-Saharan African countries. The study uses the risk of maternal death and female life expectancy as proxies for gender health performance, thus obtaining two key findings. First, the study results show that MFIs reduce the risk of maternal death, exclusively in the below-median quantiles of the risk of maternal death distribution. Second, MFIs improve female life expectancy throughout the conditional distribution of female life expectancy. The study further offers policy implications. The paper complements the extant literature by assessing how microfinance institutions affect gender health contingent on initial levels of gender health.

Suggested Citation

  • Simplice A. Asongu & Joseph Nnanna, 2026. "Microfinance Institutions and Gender Health in Sub-Saharan Africa," Working Papers of the African Governance and Development Institute. 26/040, African Governance and Development Institute..
    • Handle: RePEc:agd:wpaper:26/040
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    File Function: Revised version, 2026
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    Keywords

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    JEL classification:

    • G20 - Financial Economics - - Financial Institutions and Services - - - General
    • I10 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - General
    • I32 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Welfare, Well-Being, and Poverty - - - Measurement and Analysis of Poverty
    • O40 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Growth and Aggregate Productivity - - - General
    • O55 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economywide Country Studies - - - Africa

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