Pakistan remembers leprosy fighter Dr Ruth Pfau on first death anniversary

The first death anniversary of German doctor and nun, Dr Ruth Pfau, who dedicated her life to eradicating leprosy in Pakistan is being observed on August 10.

Dr Pfau, who was hailed as the Mother Teresa of Pakistan, passed away on August 10, 2017 at a hospital in Karachi at the age of 87.

Then-prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi had announced a state funeral for her and said Dr Pfau “may have been born in Germany, but her heart was always in Pakistan”.

On Friday, caretaker Punjab chief minister Dr Hasan Askari said the “credit for eliminating leprosy from the country goes to the untiring efforts and passionate commitment of Dr Pfau,” adding, “The Pakistani nation appreciates the commitment and selfless passion of Dr Pfau towards serving patients.”

Dr Askari continued, “The way she served leprosy patients was a unique chapter in the history of public service. There is no doubt that the late Dr Pfau was a ray of hope for the leprosy patients and she made the whole humanity proud by devotedly loving and caring for the ailing humanity.”

He concluded by saying that her unprecedented services and role in eradicating leprosy and tuberculosis will always be remembered with respect and reverence in the country.

Born in Leipzig in 1929, Dr Pfau saw her home destroyed by bombing during World War Two.

A student of medicine, she was sent to India in 1960 by her order, the Daughters of the Heart of Mary, but was stuck in Karachi owing to visa issues. It was during this time that she first became aware of leprosy.

Later in 1961, Dr Pfau went to India only to return to Pakistan, where she started a campaign to contain leprosy, a mildly contagious bacterial infection.

Dr Pfau trained Pakistani doctors and attracted foreign donations, building leprosy clinics across the country.

She joined the Marie Adelaide Leprosy Center and soon transformed it into the hub of a network of 157 medical centres that treated tens of thousands of Pakistanis infected with leprosy.

Less than four decades after Dr Pfau began her campaign, the World Health Organisation declared it under control in Pakistan in 1996, ahead of most other Asian countries.

She was granted Pakistani citizenship in 1988 and received numerous accolades for her services, including the Hilal-i-Imtiaz, Nishan-i-Quaid-i-Azam and Hilal-i-Pakistan.

In May this year, Governor State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) Tariq Bajwa along with German Ambassador to Pakistan Martin Kobler unveiled Rs50 commemorative coin in recognition of meritorious services rendered by Dr Ruth Pfau.