Coel Maternal Wellness Bangle

Coel, a Maternal Wellness Bangle, 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 exceeds acceptable ranges. The highly durable plastic device is water resistant, operates without connectivity and has a battery life for 10+ months without charging.

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 diseases including pneumonia, chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder, ischemic heart disease, stroke, lung cancer.

Coel Innovations:

Many innovations have been integrated into the design of Coel. The shape is that of a bangle, a commonly worn accessory in South Asia. So women feel habituated and comfortable wearing the device. 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.

Technology:
• Flexible PCB designed to fit into a tiny curved enclosure
• Custom designed curved battery
• Embedded speaker & Carbon Monoxide Sensor
• Water and dust resistance

Promoting Maternity Wellness

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. In existing deployments, messages are provided for a total of 18 months (Pregnancy 10 months + Childcare 8 months). 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.

How it works: