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Can Informal Savings Groups Promote Food Security and Social, Economic and Health Transformations, Especially among Women in Urban Sub-Saharan Africa: A Narrative Systematic Review

Author

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  • Akim Tafadzwa Lukwa

    (Health Economics Unit, School of Public Health and Family Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town 7935, South Africa
    DSI-NRF Centre of Excellence in Epidemiological Modelling and Analysis (SACEMA), Stellenbosch University, Private Bag X1, Matieland, Stellenbosch 7602, South Africa)

  • Feyisayo Odunitan-Wayas

    (Research Centre for Health through Physical Activity, Lifestyle & Sport, Division of Physiological Sciences, Department of Human Biology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town 7700, South Africa
    Division of Public Health Medicine, School of Public Health and Family Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town 7935, South Africa)

  • Estelle Victoria Lambert

    (Research Centre for Health through Physical Activity, Lifestyle & Sport, Division of Physiological Sciences, Department of Human Biology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town 7700, South Africa
    Division of Public Health Medicine, School of Public Health and Family Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town 7935, South Africa)

  • Olufunke A. Alaba

    (Health Economics Unit, School of Public Health and Family Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town 7935, South Africa)

  • on behalf of the “Savings for Health” IDRC Collaborators

    (“Savings for Health” IDRC collaborators are provided in the Supplementary Materials.)

Abstract

This narrative review aimed to identify if roles of common informal savings groups known as Accumulating Savings and Credit Associations (ASCAs) or Rotating Savings and Credit Associations (ROSCAs) can play a significant role in mitigating food insecurity, socioeconomic inequality, promoting health, and/or increasing agency in women in urban sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). These organizations exist in most low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) worldwide under various names. A comprehensive search of scholarly outputs across six electronic databases (Pub-Med, Google Scholar, EBSCOhost, Scopus, Sabinet, and Cochrane) from 2000 to 2021 was completed. Twenty-eight (28) records met our inclusion criteria, and their quality was appraised using the Critical Appraisal Skills Programme (CASP) qualitative checklist. We identified through thematic analysis that ROSCAs/ASCAs play a crucial role in advancing social, economic, and health transformations, especially among women in urban SSA. However, while ROSCAs/ACSAs played important roles in food security, it was often not the primary motivation for participation. None of the selected studies identified the importance of dietary quality or access to healthy food in relation to food security. This review suggests a window of opportunity to promote partnerships and collaborations of ROSCAs/ASCAs with relevant stakeholders to leverage the functionalities of ROSCAs/ASCAs as vehicles for re-alignment of priorities, increased knowledge, and opportunities to encourage affordable healthy diets in urban SSA.

Suggested Citation

  • Akim Tafadzwa Lukwa & Feyisayo Odunitan-Wayas & Estelle Victoria Lambert & Olufunke A. Alaba & on behalf of the “Savings for Health” IDRC Collaborators, 2022. "Can Informal Savings Groups Promote Food Security and Social, Economic and Health Transformations, Especially among Women in Urban Sub-Saharan Africa: A Narrative Systematic Review," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(6), pages 1-26, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:14:y:2022:i:6:p:3153-:d:766306
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Emmanuel, Bukuwa Nambale, 2022. "The determinants of participation in savings groups and the impact on input investment among smallholder farmers in Sironko district, Uganda," Research Theses 334746, Collaborative Masters Program in Agricultural and Applied Economics.

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