Understanding Demographic Influences On Utilisation of Maternal Health Services in Maharashtra: Towards Sustainable Development Goal 3

Abstract Maternal health is one of the crucial indicators of development of any nation. It refers to the health of a woman from the time she conceives a baby, during pregnancy, during the delivery and post delivery period. It has been one of the pivotal issues faced by developed as well as developing countries like India. According to the Sustainable Development Goal Progress Report 2024, Sub Saharan Africa and Southern Asia accounted for around 87% of the estimated global maternal deaths in 2020 (SDG Progress Report, 2024). Among 17 Sustainable development Goals adopted by members of the United Nations, reducing Maternal Mortality Rate pertains to SDG 3. Present paper focuses on investigating the demographic factors that Influences utilisation of maternal health services in Maharashtra in achieving Sustainable Development Goal 3. Present study is exploratory study which is based on secondary data obtained from National Family Health Survey 5 (NFHS 5) which focuses on key demographic factors such as age of mother, education level, residence of the household etc. It is observed that demographic background factors influence the utilization of maternal health care services. Positive shift towards more women choosing to give birth in health facilities has been observed which indicates that Maharashtra is heading towards achieving the goal of enhancing maternal health. Differences in delivery practices between urban and rural areas in Maharashtra also underlines the reach of antenatal services across regions. Rural areas have a slightly lower percentage, which may be due to challenges in accessing healthcare providers in more remote regions.