Zubaida Bai: A simple birth kit for mothers in the developing world
Zubaida Bai: Um kit simples para as mães do mundo em desenvolvimento
Zubaida Bai innovates health and livelihood solutions for underserved women and girls around the world. Full bio
Double-click the English transcript below to play the video.
that you will listen to me,
be prepared for birth;
preparado para o parto.
of access to basic clean tools
de ferramentas básicas esterilizadas
die every single year
morrem todos os anos
to basic cleanliness
numa tarde quente de verão
and listening to their needs,
e a ouvir falar das suas necessidades,
de uma parteira.
on how she delivered babies in her house.
como ela realizava os partos em casa.
conversation with her
calling to do what she was doing,
profunda vocação quanto ao que fazia,
to deliver the babies?
para realizar o parto?"
the mother and the baby," she said.
a mãe e o bebé," disse ela.
agricultural tool in my hand in shock.
peguei neste utensílio agrícola em choque
hugged her and walked away.
of my own infection
na minha própria infecção
for a year past childbirth
to the best medical care,
aos melhores cuidados de saúde.
with my father,
que tive com o meu pai,
a sua vida teria sido diferente
would be so different
just next to him growing up.
I started my process of research.
comecei a fazer a minha pesquisa.
that there was a product out there
que havia um produto no mercado
based on availability of funding.
na disponibilidade de financiamento.
I was in shock again.
entrei novamente em choque.
to deliver my baby, I thought.
para dar à luz o meu bebé, pensei.
I went back to the women,
voltei às mulheres
of using this product.
the same reaction and more.
e ainda mais.
deliver on a floor
que preferiam dar à luz no chão
that smeared blood all over.
e espalhar o sangue por toda a parte.
it would cause more infection.
to bacterial infection
para a infecção bacteriana
that men used for shaving,
usado para a barba dos homens,
anywhere close to them.
to redesign this product,
para reformular este produto,
consulted in this process.
consultadas no processo.
was not only in homes
a carência não era só nas casas,
with high-volume births.
com grandes taxas de partos.
were even more daunting.
eram ainda mais assustadoras.
by collecting feedback,
ao reunir opiniões,
researching global protocols.
que pesquisavam protocolos globais.
we went back to the women
que tínhamos um produto para elas.
was that these women,
foi que estas mulheres,
on their health and well-being.
à sua saúde e bem-estar.
a well-designed product
um produto bem concebido
working with experts,
a trabalhar com especialistas,
an easy process at all,
não foi um processo fácil,
the existing product was offered for,
o produto existente pedia,
to deliver "janma,"
conseguimos entregar a "janma",
a blood-absorbing sheet
e continha um lençol absorvente
a bar of soap, a pair of gloves
sabão, um par de luvas
to wipe the baby clean.
in a beautiful purse
as a gift after all her hard work,
por todo o seu trabalho.
as a symbol of prosperity.
como símbolo de prosperidade.
Can I keep it?"
"Posso ficar com ela?"
"Will you give me a different color
that this was the first purse
como esta era a primeira bolsa
and its simplicity,
globally recommended medical protocol
protocolos médicos globais
to follow steps one after the other.
com passos para serem seguidos.
but also in institutional settings.
mas também em ambientes institucionais.
over 600,000 mothers and babies
de 600 000 mães e bebés
to watch these numbers grow,
é uma experiência humilde
we reach a hundred million.
até atingirmos um milhão.
das mulheres não terminam aqui.
that require low-cost interventions.
que requerem intervenções baratas.
that if we invest in women and girls
se investirmos nas mulheres e raparigas
health and well-being,
melhor saúde e bem-estar,
and prosperous communities.
mais saudáveis, mais ricas e prósperas.
and dignity to women's health issues:
simplicidade e dignidade
to breaking taboos,
à quebra de tabus,
to take control of their own lives.
para controlarem as suas próprias vidas.
without engaging men and women alike
com a ajuda de outros homens e mulheres
by Leonard Cohen:
de Leonard Cohen:
placed in the world of women's health
no mundo da saúde das mulheres,
are at the center of a sustainable world,
estão no centro do mundo sustentável,
ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Zubaida Bai - Women's health advocateZubaida Bai innovates health and livelihood solutions for underserved women and girls around the world.
Why you should listen
Building on her expertise as a mechanical engineer, a social worker and her public speaking skills, Zubaida Bai put her unique passion to work. In the process, she built a brand and a product line, and she set in motion a movement that addresses market failures, breaks taboos and gives voice to the oft-ignored matter that is women’s health.
Bai is the founder and CEO of ayzh (pronounced "eyes"), a social enterprise based in India that designs vital healthcare products to improve the health and happiness of women and girls across their reproductive lives. Bai launched her company with janma, a $3 clean birth kit in a purse, but her story goes further back to when she stood by her mother to face head-on the challenge of survival facing her family when she had just entered her teens.
janma was conceived after traveling to one of the poorest communities in India and confronting the reality that more than one million mothers and babies lose their lives in the developing world each year due to uncleanliness at the time of childbirth. Packaged in a pink biodegradable jute bag, a design that mothers can reuse as a purse, the kit provides both cleanliness and dignity. Since beginning sales in 2012, Bai's company has sold more than 250,000 kits to more than 300 health institutions in 20 countries, touching the lives of more than 500,000 women and newborns. Bai is now expanding her product line to include kits for newborn, postpartum and menstrual health, while scaling her proven model across India and into Africa.
Bai was selected as a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum, a Maternal Health Champion by Ashoka, a TED speaker (Fellow and Resident) and the United Nations SDG Pioneer by the United Nations Global Compact (UNGC). ayzh's strategic partners from around the world who have written about Zubaida's work: TOMS shared her safe birth story; USAID blogged about how she's empowering women through a simple purse; and Grand Challenges Canada recognizes her lead role in scaling life-changing kits for mothers and newborns.
Bai believes that building a sustainable company takes a great team, stamina and a sturdy suitcase. She is fluent in eight languages and travels the world forging new partnerships and advocating for women's health. She has spoken at events for Women in the World, Pfizer Foundation and Women Deliver. She holds a master's degree in mechanical engineering specializing in development of modular products, and an MBA in social and sustainable enterprises.
Zubaida Bai | Speaker | TED.com