Saving mothers and babies

In 2017, Spanish engineer Pablo Bergasa began an unusual hobby: to design a new incubator for use in African hospitals. Eight years on, he has sent 200 of his machines around the world, and he estimates they have saved the lives of 5,000 babies. Pablo’s incubator costs just a small proportion of the price of a regular machine and can run on a battery and a bottle of water. Plus Myra Anubi hears about how a simple but ingenious plastic sheet is saving women from dying after giving birth.

People Fixing The World from the BBC is about brilliant solutions to the world's problems. We release a new edition every week for most of the year. We'd love you to let us know what you think and to hear about your own solutions. You can contact us on WhatsApp by messaging +44 8000 321721 or email [email protected]. And please leave us a review on your chosen podcast provider.

This podcast was first published in July 2025.

Presenter: Myra Anubi Reporter: Esperanza Escribano Producer: William Kremer Editor: Jon Bithrey Sound mix: Andrew Mills