Gradian Health Systems is a nonprofit social enterprise that equips hospitals around the world to deliver anaesthesia safely and provide quality surgical care. Our Universal Anaesthesia Machine was designed to operate in settings with unreliable electricity and a lack of compressed medical gases.
Solar Ear
Target geography
Target Population
Target income level
- Lower-middle income (20-40%)
Health focus
- Rehabilitative care
Summary
Solar Ear is a Brazilian based company that manufactures, assembles and distributes a low-cost solar-powered hearing aid that is helping improve the quality of life of the hearing-impaired.Program goals
In its more severe form a hearing impairment keeps otherwise healthy children and adults from going to school and working. Hearing loss leads to poverty and hardship in the families and communities affected as the hearing impaired often suffer from a lack of educational and occupational opportunities.
Key program components
To address this issue, Solar Ear Brazil manufactures, assembles and distributes a relatively low-cost digital rechargeable hearing aid, a new solar battery charger and rechargeable hearing aid batteries. The batteries cost the same as disposable zinc air batteries, but last 2 to 3 years. The rechargeable digital hearing aid costs under US $100 and the rechargeable hearing aid battery is approximately $2.00. All products are assembled by young employees who are deaf. By developing practical technologies for the region and creating employment, training and education programs, this project is creating a sustainable professional enterprise and effecting the way civil society views the skills of people with disabilities.
Scale
Financials
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