The Microfinance and Health Protection (MAHP) initiative, which is funded by a grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, is moving ahead well with enthusiastic participation of four of the five MAHP partners secured.  These partners include Bandhan in India, Center for Agriculture and Rural Development (CARD) in the Philippines, Crédito con Educación Rural (CRECER) in Bolivia, Réseau des Caisses Populaires (RCPB) in Burkina Faso, and Association pour la Promotion et l' Appui au Développement de MicroEntreprises (PADME) in Benin.  CARD will explore developing new innovations in health education, health savings or emergency loans, and/or prepaid health to complement its existing Credit with Education service and a new health insurance product already undergoing pilot-testing. RCPB hopes to refine its new health savings product and examine the possibility of adding a “risk pooling” component to expand members’ coverage beyond its own, individual health savings.  All MAHP partners will be undertaking significant market research over the coming months to better define market needs and identify appropriate and potentially sustainable health protection innovations.