Coel, A maternal wellness bangle

COEL is developed to address – lack of relevant information during pregnancy, and indoor air pollution. In South Asia, high maternal mortality rates remain a major issue largely due to lack of access to the right information at the right time. Air pollution due to cooking using wood, charcoal and dung as fuel also causes pregnant women and girls to get exposed to harmful gases including Carbon Monoxide leading to increased risk of many diseases.

Our COEL device provides access to antenatal and infant care information to pregnant and new mothers (a rural localized audio version of “what to expect when you are expecting”) as well as CO detection and warning. The content, language, duration, and frequency of messages and alarms can be customized depending on the local requirements. The audio delivery platform can be also used for applications beyond maternal health and in any geography.  

• Everyday 1,000 women die from pregnancy related issues
• 2 out of 5 children dye during the first month of life
• About 29000 children under the age of five- 21 each minute- die every day mainly from preventable causes.
• Nearly 4 million premature deaths occur annually from (indoor) air pollution including pneumonia, chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder, ischemic heart disease, stroke, lung cancer.  

94% of all maternal deaths occur in low and lower middle-income countries. In South Asia, maternal mortality remains a major issue due to lack of access to the right information at the right time – so it is avoidable if right measures are taken. Our main focus is to educate pregnant women and new mothers through wellness messages and change their behavior accordingly. Awareness and the right information lead to the right action. 

We have developed a device named Coel - it is a maternal Wellness Bangle that speaks out pre-loaded audio messages twice a week, containing wellness advice for pregnant women and new mothers. The bangle is also capable of detecting the presence and level of indoor air pollution, particularly Carbon Monoxide (CO). It gives out alarms when the level of CO exceeds acceptable ranges. The highly durable plastic device is water resistant, operates without connectivity and boasts battery life for up to 10 months without charging. It logs the data on number of messages listened to and CO incidents – we can study this data afterwards and measure effectiveness.

Technology used:

General Information:

• Material - PC+ABS plastic, texture finished
• Resistant to - Water, IPX3 rating
• Charging time - 3-4 Hours, Once charged it can work for ~10 months
• Product replacement guarantee -1 year (Except any physical damage)

Technical Information:

• Data retrieval - Yes - via Charging or Data clip and CoelBand app, Data will be stored in cloud server
• Battery Life - ~10 months once charged, 200 mAh
• Charging clip and Cable - Available
• Data Storage - 64mb Sound strength - 14mA average 

COEL was developed to address – lack of relevant information during pregnancy, and indoor air pollution. In South Asia, high maternal mortality rates remain a major issue largely due to lack of access to the right information at the right time. Air pollution due to cooking using wood, charcoal, and dung as fuel also causes pregnant women and girls to get exposed to harmful gases including Carbon Monoxide leading to increased risk of  many diseases.

So our target audience is rural pregnant women and new mothers who do not have easy access to information technology. Since it is a wearable, the messages reach the beneficiary for extended times easily. It is not dependent on mobile connectivity or electricity for charging, and this makes it a unique and effective solution in areas where mobile coverage and electricity is limited. The CO detector makes it relevant in areas where wood, dung, and charcoal based stoves are used, and indoor air pollution is a huge threat. It provides access to antenatal and infant care information to pregnant and new mothers. The content, language, duration, and frequency of messages and alarms can be customized depending on the local requirements. 

Problem:

• Maternal and child mortality
• Indoor air pollution

Solution:

Coel, a maternal Wellness Bangle, speaks out pre-loaded audio messages twice a week, also capable of detecting the presence and level of indoor air pollution, particularly Carbon Monoxide (CO). Our main focus is to educate pregnant women and new mothers through wellness messages and change their behavior accordingly. It provides access to antenatal and infant care information to pregnant and new mothers. The CO detector makes it relevant in areas where wood, dung, and charcoal based stoves are used, and indoor air pollution is a huge threat.