Founded in 2011, CEL is dedicated to improving maternal, newborn, and child health outcomes by turning research into impactful public health solutions. They have created more than 250 dedicated KMC lounges in health facilities across Uttar Pradesh, fostering supportive environments where mothers are central to their babies’ care. CEL’s KMC app has revolutionized how Kangaroo Mother Care is implemented in India, facilitating better care management and driving improvements in newborn health through skin-to-skin contact and breastfeeding.

“We know that immediate kangaroo mother care for fragile newborns saves and improves lives.”,” said Dr. Karlee Silver, CEO of Grand Challenges Canada. “The magic of CEL is that they have made it an aspirational and supported approach for mothers and their families in India, saving thousands of lives in the process.”

CEL’s work is a testament to the power of community-driven solutions. As part of their ongoing commitment to improving healthcare for India's most vulnerable populations, they continue to expand the number of KMC lounges and are in the process of establishing Mother-Newborn Intensive Care Units (M-NICUs) across Uttar Pradesh.

“At CEL, we are working to serve as a bridge between policy and practice to save newborn lives,” said Dr. Kumar. “From the beginning, Grand Challenges Canada believed in our vision, and their support has been vital in scaling this work.”