In Colombia, researchers are evaluating the economic impact of providing stimulus loans to SMEs, distributed via the government’s COVID-19 relief program (“Unidos por Colombia”), on SME survival, profits, and employment.

Researchers conducted a randomized intervention to measure the impact of financial incentives for reaching daily step goals on physical activity and depression risk during the Covid-19 pandemic, to better understand the association between physical activity and mental health. While program participants significantly increased their daily steps relative to the comparison group, this change in physical activity did not lead to improvement in their mental well-being.

In rural Bangladesh, researchers evaluated the impacts of teaching women to track spending in financial diaries and providing a traditional financial education program on their financial literacy and well-being. Study participants had higher financial literacy levels after receiving either intervention and improved their savings behavior and debt management.