This TED Talk features mechanical engineer Zubai-to-bye recorded live at TED Residency, 2016.

In the next six minutes that you will listen to me, the world will have lost three mothers while delivering their babies.

One, because of a severe complication.

Second, because she will be a teenager and her body will not be prepared for birth.

But the third, only because of lack of access to basic clean tools at the time of childbirth.

She will not be alone.

Over one million mothers and babies die every single year in the developing world

only because of lack of access to basic

cleanliness while giving birth to their babies. My journey began on a hot summer afternoon in

India in 2008 when after a day of meeting women and listening to their needs, I landed in

attached hut with a midwife.

As a mother, I was very curious on how she delivered babies in her house.

After a deep and engaging conversation with her on how she considered it a profound calling to do what she was doing,

I asked her a parting question.

Do you have the tools that you need to deliver the babies? I got to see her tool. This is what I used to separate the mother

and the baby, she said. Unsure of how to react, I held this agricultural tool in my hand in shock.

I took a picture of this, hugged her and walked away.

My mind was flooded with reflections of my own infection that I had to struggle with for a year past childbirth,

despite having access to best medical care.

And memories of my conversation with my father

who had lost his mom to childbirth

on how he thought his life would be so different

...