The advent of microfinance has not only revolutionised the credit market in developing countries, it has also played a key role in poverty alleviation and human development. NGO-provided microfinance services have various social objectives and carry out development programs alongside government, often known as the alternative development sector. This presentation provides a historical perspective of development practice in microfinance since the 1950s to recent time. It also identifies the key development concerns in Asia and the Pacific countries and concludes with a synopsis of microfinance and its role as a development intervention. DataBlitz on Microfinance was held on 24 May 2013.