Life on Earth Pictures

The Vatican's Synod on the Amazon in late 2019 drew the world's attention anew to the Amazon region of South America, focusing particularly on how the church struggles to proclaim abundant life in the midst of deteriorating environmental conditions and accelerating assaults on Indigenous peoples. Paul Jeffrey recently spent several weeks in the Amazon basin, and here's a selection of images from three countries that illustrate what's happening in the the fragile vulnerable region.

Cervical cancer is preventable, yet it remains the second most common cause of cancer among women and the leading cause of female cancer deaths in sub-Saharan Africa. It is also one of the most common cancers in women living with HIV. Patterns of cervical cancer and HIV typify the experience of young women in Africa who face multiple barriers to good health. Confronting this challenge are the nurses who do cervical cancer screening in the Shirati Hospital in Shirati, Tanzania. Paul Jeffrey photographed these sheroes on an assignment for IMA World Health. which supports the clinic's work.

Palestine's Jordan Valley is under threat of annexation by Israel following elections in 2020. Albin Hillert captured these images of a Bedouin community there, documenting how people are struggling to to survive under occupation.

Wheelchairs are an essential tool in insuring mobility to millions of people around the world. Yet in resource poor nations, wheelchairs are often imported, pricing them out of reach of many. And when they break or wear out, parts and service are often not available locally. In Zimbabwe, the Jairos Jiri Association, with support from CBM-US, decided to change that situation. It brought a popular and economical wheelchair from South Africa, while at the same time training personnel and setting up the facilities to properly fit the chairs and quickly get them back into service when something goes wrong. As Paul Jeffrey shows with these images he captured while on assignment for CBM-US, that means thousands of Zimbabweans who live with disabilities, whether in the countryside or city, can keep on rolling.

Since shortly after taking office in 2016, Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte has waged a "war on drugs" that many consider to be a war on the poor. Church leaders have been critical of Duterte's bloody campaign, and many chosen to stand with the families of the campaign's thousands of victims. With church support, several relatives of Filipinos killed in the campaign have filed a case in the International Criminal Court, charging Duterte with crimes against humanity. Paul Jeffrey captured these images in Manila.