Pakistan may still be struggling to fight polio but it was the first country in Asia to control leprosy, claimed the champion of the fight against this disease, Dr Ruth Pfau.
Dr Ruth Pfau was speaking at a ceremony organised by the health facility she founded in 1965, Marie Adelaide Leprosy Centre, to mark the 62nd World Leprosy Day.Louisa De Souza, the first teacher at the leprosy centre in Karachi, said “We have never heard of any volunteer or worker who has gotten leprosy while working with leprosy patients,”.
In 1996, Pakistan became the first country in Asia to have controlled leprosy long before the United Nations target for leprosy control, which was set for the year 2000, Dr Pfau shared. “Today, on the fields that we have ploughed for leprosy control, we have so many other harvests,” she said proudly. She also spoke about other projects that she has been involved in to help the blind and people with other disabilities.
The ceremony was attended by doctors, who spoke about the disease. Later, medals were distributed among the workers who have been with the leprosy centre for the past 25 years. From drivers to maids to junior workers to the ward girl, the organisers recognised everyone’s efforts in eliminating leprosy from the country.
Dr Pfau’s journey started when she was on her way to India to help mother Teresa with her work but she had to stay in Pakistan for some days due to some visa issues. During her visit, she visited some slums and was drawn to work for the leprosy patients. The 85-year-old has been serving Pakistan for the last 55 years.
Leprosy: The long-lasting infection caused by the bacteria, mycobacterium leprae, causes nerve damage in the arms and legs, and leads to skin sores on the body. The disease is curable and one can only catch it if one comes into repeated and close contact with someone with untreated leprosy.