Optimization and Planning of Limited Resources for Assisting Non-Profits in Improving Maternal and Child Health

Abstract:

The maternal mortality rate in India is appalling, largely fueled by lack of access to preventive care information, especially in low resource households. We partner with non-profit, ARMMAN, that aims to use mobile health technologies to improve the maternal and child health outcomes.

 

To assisst ARMMAN and such non-profits, we develop a Restless Multi-Armed Bandit (RMAB) based solution to help improve accessibility of critical health information, via increased engagement of beneficiaries with their program. We address fundamental research challenges that crop up along the way and present technical advances in RMABs and Planning Algorithms for Limited-Resource Allocation. Transcending the boundaries of typical laboratory research, we also deploy our models in the field, and present results from a first-of-its-kind pilot test employing and evaluating RMABs in a real-world public health application.