Ananya Visual Analytics System: Applications for Strengthening Healthcare Delivery in Bihar, India

The vast volume of complex, multidimensional data generated by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation´s Ananya program to improve maternal, child, and integrated health in Bihar, India, compelled the program to develop a strong visual analytics system. This was necessary to synthesize information and enable Ananya´s managers to visualize and interpret data to make effective and informed decisions. The visual analytics system embraces three applications -- a GIS, a data visualization tool, and a program dashboard -- that collectively depict program indicators, providing managers with current assessments of program progress and performance. While distinct in their roles and objectives, the applications are complementary in nature. The applications are in various stages of prototype development and upon deployment will become connected to the system through Ananya´s GIS application. This is a unique strategy for the sustainability of the system. In addition to its novel sustainability plans, the system offers a one-of-its-kind application of geo-information technology to improve maternal and child health in Bihar and unique visualizations of program data to support decision making.