A Strategic Health Index for Maternal and Child Wellbeing in Uttar Pradesh using MCDM

Maternal and child health (MCH) is a critical indicator of overall societal well-being, particularly in developing countries. The study presents a comprehensive analysis to evaluate MCH in Uttar Pradesh (UP), a state facing significant public health challenges. Using National Family Health Survey (NFHS-5) data on MCH indicators, we developed a health index to systematically assess and compare health status across various districts. The multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) technique, specifically Criteria Importance Through Inter-criteria Correlation (CRITIC) and TOPSIS (Technique for Order of Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution) is used to determine the importance of closeness of various criteria affecting MCH care, such as antenatal care, institutional delivery, postnatal care, immunization coverage and nutritional status. The overall performance of each district in terms of MCH was measured to develop a composite index based on the MCDM approach. In contrast, the indicator weights were determined by the CRITIC method. Some districts showed better performance on specific indicators, while others lagged. The resulting index provides a nuanced understanding of the regional disparities within UP, highlighting areas of urgent need for healthcare interventions. The findings underscore the importance of targeted policies and programs to improve MCH outcomes, contributing to the broader goals of sustainable development and public health enhancement in the region.. KEYWORDS :Maternal and child health, CRITIC, TOPSIS, Index.