Exploring microfinance initiatives and women in Sri Lanka: linking health and development

Abstract

This study explored the impacts of microfinance on women, particularly related to health and wellbeing, in Sri Lanka. More specifically, the study explored the factors influencing women's inclusion and participation, explored the impact of microfinance on NCD-related health indicators and outcomes, and analysed the positive and negative impacts of microfinance on women's role and position. The study employed an ethnographic methodology that involved face-to-face semi-structured interviews with 33 microfinance clients (including centre leaders) across rural and urban areas of Puttalam district in Sri Lanka. Additionally, other data sources, including unstructured interviews with microfinance staff (i.e. credit officers, manager), as well as walking tours, field observations, reflections and photographs, were also used for the data analysis. The study began by examining the current evidence of microfinance and NCDs using a systematic literature review. The results from the systematic literature review identified major themes on the links between microfinance and NCDs. The review found that microfinance contributed to both positive and negative impacts on NCDs, including modifiable (behavioural) and metabolic risk factors, health-seeking and health care utilization, and health financing mechanisms. Additionally, the literature review helped to develop a conceptual framework, which highlighted three major pathways linking microfinance with women's NCD-specific health and wellbeing. The explorative research of the study found that there were four major factors influencing women's inclusion and participation in microfinance, including the process for the nomination of the centre leader, the selection of group members, formalization of microfinance memberships, and maintenance of social dynamics. The study found that these factors were influenced by local context-specific aspects (i.e. religious affiliation, lifestyles, physical environments), which differed between the rural and urban areas. These four factors, overall, help to strengthen the social elements (i.e. group trust, solidarity, cohesion) within microfinance networks, and reduce the financial risk for women.

Broadly Applicable Bispecific Linker Approach to Noncovalently Target Therapeutic Nanoparticles to Tumor Cells Expressing Carcinoembryonic Antigen

“…Cell viability decreased in a concentration-dependent manner upon light exposure for both MC38 and MC38.CEA cells that were pretreated with C e 6GVs or MFE23.ZZ-2B10–C e 6GV (Figure B). Of note, light exposure in the absence of C e 6 is not expected to have an effect on the viability of cells . As expected, the cytotoxic effect (as reflected from calculated CD 50 values) of MFE23.ZZ-2B10–C e 6GVs was 13.6 times greater than that observed for untargeted Ce6GVs toward MC38.CEA cells (Figure B).…”