The Flying Doctors of Lesotho
Tommy Trenchard, South Africa
Tommy Trenchard is an independent photographer and writer based in Cape Town, South Africa. He has been living in various parts of Africa for the past 14 years, documenting a broad range of topics from across the continent and further afield, from stories of conflict, crisis and environmental destruction to stories of hope, resilience, and of the people, communities and organisations striving to change the world for the better. He is represented by Panos Pictures.
In Lesotho, one of the world most mountainous nations, where hundreds of thousands of people living in remote communities lack road access to healthcare, a tenacious band of flying health workers provides a lifeline. Flying around the country in tiny planes and helicopters through turbulent and ever changing mountain weather, they bring lifesaving care to people who would otherwise have to go without. The Lesotho Flying Doctor Services is a branch of the government’s health ministry, and it was devastated by the impact of Donald Trump’s aid cuts in January 2025. Now, after months spent fighting for its very survival, the flying doctors are picking up the pieces and looking to the future, rebuilding the service to be stronger, more efficient and less reliant than ever before – with or without support from the US.