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EDITOR IN CHIEF- ABDULLAH BIN SALIM AL SHUEILI

Smart bangle delivers pregnancy tips

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MUMBAI: A high-tech bangle that alerts pregnant women to toxic fumes and issues audio tips promises to boost maternal health in South Asia, as smart devices deliver ever more services to remote communities.


The colourful, lightweight bangle also bypasses phone-owning men — feeding information directly to expectant mothers — and is built to withstand the rigours of village life.


“In rural areas, mobile connectivity — and mobile access for women — is an issue, as phones are controlled by men,” said Pavel Hoq, chief operating officer at Grameen Intel Social Business, which developed the new device.


“While we had also developed mobile apps for maternal health, we realised a wearable device solely for women, something she would likely wear all the time, would be better to connect with women in rural areas,” he said.


Made of durable plastic, the bangle is water-resistant and has a long-lasting battery that does not require charging throughout the duration of a pregnancy.


Nor does it need an Internet connection to work. Coel, or carbon monoxide exposure limiter, was created by Grameen Intel Social Business Ltd, a joint venture of Intel Corporation, and Bangladesh non-profit Grameen Trust. The device can be recharged and reused many times.


It will join a woman’s regular array of bracelets, with most married women in South Asia wearing bangles made of glass, plastic or gold.


The decorative finish differentiates the bangle from many other wrist-worn fitness devices or smart watches.


Coel, which is designed to withstand the rough and tumble of daily chores, delivers two wellness messages a week in the local language, including what to eat and when to see the doctor.


An alarm also sounds if high levels of carbon monoxide fumes are generated when cooking with firewood, charcoal or dung, warning the wearer to move away.


Every day, about 830 women worldwide die from pregnancy or childbirth-related complications, according to the World Health Organization.


Nearly a third of these deaths are in South Asia. Maternal mortality is higher among women living in rural areas and poorer communities, where access to healthcare is often forbidden or curtailed due to a lack of medics.


In Bangladesh, where more than 70 per cent of babies are born at home, about 5,000 maternal deaths and nearly 77,000 neonatal deaths are reported annually, according to WHO. In neighbouring India, where Coel has been tested in Uttar Pradesh maternal and neonatal deaths are nearly 10 times higher.


At the same time, wearable devices including smart watches, shoes and glasses, are increasingly used for remote healthcare, such as to monitor a patient’s cholesterol or insulin levels. — Reuters


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