In Bolivia’s High Plains, or Altiplano, the indigenous Aymara live by proud traditions. They work the land, weave home-dyed yarns and play handcrafted woodwinds in festivals that draw tourists from all over the world.
But the Aymara, suspicious of modern medicine, also suffer among the world’s highest maternal and infant mortality rates. In 2013, 230 women died for every 100,000 registered births and 36 babies died for every 1,000 registered births. When Olmo Calvo, a freelance photojournalist from Madrid, received a grant for work documenting Spain’s economic crisis, he used the money to visit the Altiplano and document efforts to stem this medical and humanitarian crisis. Read full story in the New York Times blog.
