Grameen Intel has developed a state-of-the-art smart bangle, especially designed for pregnant women, that can play a revolutionary role in improving maternal health, said a top official of the company.
This is an innovative and absolutely new concept not only in Bangladesh but also in the rest of the world, Kazi I Huque, chief executive of Grameen Intel Social Business Ltd, told The Daily Star in an interview recently.
Grameen Intel soon plans to go for large-scale marketing of the bangle that has been named Coel; it will be available at a price of Tk 1,000 to Tk 1,200, said Huque, who is also the finance director for Intel Corporation.
A unique feature of the bangle is that it can detect and alert the presence and level of indoor air pollution, particularly carbon monoxide, during daily activities like cooking that often involves burning wood, charcoal or animal dung, said Huque.
The smart bangle, especially designed for pregnant women, can play an important role in improving maternal health. Photo: Star
“We developed and designed the bangle in Dhaka, and took help from Intel to install the silicon in it.”
Coel is a water resistant bangle made of high quality durable plastic. The device lasts for 10 months, the entire pregnancy period, without charging and is also programmed to deliver about 80 pregnancy related wellness messages.
The messages have been taken from an UN Foundation initiative called MAMA-Mobile Alliance for Maternal Action, which are used by 7.5 million women through 160 institutions in 54 countries. Grameen Intel has translated the short messages on -- proper diet, vaccination, when to see a doctor, and preparations for delivery -- into Bangla and installed in the bangle.
The device does not require internet connectivity to function. It is crucial that a pregnant woman gets the right information at the right time, making Coel the right device to meet such advisory needs.
This device can be set up according to the pregnancy dates and it will provide the pregnancy related messages accordingly -- around two messages each week -- to ensure the good health and wellness of the mother and the child.
Huque said they have piloted this device and found positive feedback, with some recommendations. Currently, they have only one size, which fit around 60 percent of all women.
“This is too big or too small for some women, so we need to work on it.”
The country's leading social business company plans to market Coel directly and in some cases, they will join hands with a few non-governmental organisations that are working on health issues.
Huque has 16 years of experience with Intel in their finance division and has led many worldwide investment projects. Prior to Intel, he worked as a technology consultant for EDS, now a division of HP.
Grameen Intel is also working on e-agro solutions and some other software that helps increase crop productivity.
The company has developed different software for use in other countries as well. From Bangladesh, they run business in two other countries -- India and Cambodia.
In India the company has a partner and they joined hands with IFAD, a UN organisation in Cambodia.
“We are currently running a project in India that is similar to the one in Bangladesh. We are using new technologies there and trying to find solutions to reduce their cost of agro production and help increase productivity.”
The company is developing a portable digital soil testing kit that will automatically test soil conditions and recommend necessary fertilisers.
“On average, this kit will help increase production by around 30 percent, though it also depends on weather and rainfall,” Huque said.
In 2008, Craig Barrett, then chairman of Intel Corporation, and Nobel Peace laureate Prof Muhammad Yunus announced to create a social business along with Intel and Grameen. They signed a memorandum of understanding and started the company next year.
On Bangladesh's prospects in the digitisation process and investment in high-tech industries, Huque said it needs to establish huge infrastructure and connectivity like roads, power generation, and internet accessibility.
At the same time, it needs to increase government investment in developing quality manpower.
“If we can develop infrastructure properly and ensure high quality human resources, investment will not be an issue.” And only then, global giants will show their interest in investing here in Bangladesh, he added.
Source: http://www.thedailystar.net/business/grameen-intel-takes-project-improve-maternal-health-1358089