Women in Pakistan • 2 min read
Ruth Pfau and the work of care
Remembering a German-born physician whose life became closely connected with Pakistan’s leprosy-control work.
A life rooted in service
Ruth Pfau, who died in 2017, is remembered for decades of work with people affected by leprosy in Pakistan. Her name is closely associated with the Marie Adelaide Leprosy Centre in Karachi. The older article on this address was a short tribute written in the language of a personal loss.
Look at the work behind the tribute
A lasting health program depends on much more than one celebrated individual. Treatment, training, outreach and the patient work of local teams all matter. So does the effort to reduce the exclusion experienced by people living with a stigmatized disease. Reading about the institution and its staff gives substance to the familiar description of Pfau as an exceptional humanitarian.
Care is also a collective history
This edition keeps the remembrance while avoiding the claim that a country can simply be declared free of every case of a disease. Control and eradication are different concepts. For her biography and the continuing work connected with it, consult the Ruth Pfau Foundation and the Marie Adelaide Leprosy Centre. Her story offers a starting point for learning about the people and organizations who continue that work.
From the archive
A new editorial adaptation inspired by the earlier topic on this address. This is not a verbatim restoration. Historical coverage is kept in context; the original URL is preserved.
