Marie Adelaide Leprosy Centre
Encyclopedia
Marie Adelaide Leprosy Centre in Karachi, Pakistan is run by Dr. Ruth Pfau
, who is also a Roman Catholic religious sister of the Society of Daughters of the Heart of Mary. Its social work department was founded 1962 by Dr. I. K. Gill and work for the leprosy patients and their family members was started. A Leprosy
Clinic was bought in April 1963 and patients from all over Pakistan and even from Afghanistan
came for treatment.
In two years' time, MALC was transferred to a proper hospital building and established a full-service leprosy treatment and rehabilitation center, free to patients. Volunteer specialists helped, but the staff consists mainly of former patients trained to diagnose and treat the disease and to keep records. Meanwhile, Dr. Pfau took note of the home districts of her patients and identified Pakistan's leprosy belt-the first step in creating a national program of eradication.
Inadequate resources and budget cuts for Pakistan's anti-leprosy program may herald a revival of the disease, especially in poorer areas of the country. Anti-leprosy projects have been integrated into a "multi-purpose health program," depriving them of funds specifically promised for fighting leprosy. Though the new government five-year plan earmarks funds to combat leprosy, the budget shortfall is more than 7 million rupees (US$325,000). Pakistan is on the threshold of achieving a leprosy-free society, the goal is being stifled because of financial constraints.
Though leprosy therapy in use since 1983 is effective, it is expensive and requires patients to receive weekly doses of medicine no longer widely available. The situation is particularly acute in mountainous regions and distant villages with limited access to medicine and doctors. More than 70 relief centers operate in Pakistan. New centers are opening in the North West Frontier Province and Baluchistan
, where a large influx of Afghan refugees has brought many patients suffering from leprosy.
Sister Pfau said that if necessary funds and essential facilities are provided, most leprosy patients will eventually be cured.
The Centre also helped Dr. Drago
start a leprosy center in a room of his clinic in Mirpur Khas
for patients who would otherwise need to travel to Karachi for treatment. This has evolved into the Marie Adelaide Drago government leprosy clinic which treats hundreds of patients each year.
In 2003, there are an estimated 20,000 leprosy cases still in Pakistan and 12,000 people already disabled remain in need of care.
In 2010 the Marie Adelaide Leprosy Centre building has grown to eight storeys. Dr. Pfau is being hailed as Pakistan's 'Mother Teresa'.
Ruth Pfau
Dr. Ruth Katherina Martha Pfau is a German-Pakistani nun and a member of the Society of Daughters of the Heart of Mary who has devoted the last 50 years of life to fighting leprosy in Pakistan. In 1996, Pakistan was declared by the World Health Organization to have controlled leprosy, one of the...
, who is also a Roman Catholic religious sister of the Society of Daughters of the Heart of Mary. Its social work department was founded 1962 by Dr. I. K. Gill and work for the leprosy patients and their family members was started. A Leprosy
Leprosy
Leprosy or Hansen's disease is a chronic disease caused by the bacteria Mycobacterium leprae and Mycobacterium lepromatosis. Named after physician Gerhard Armauer Hansen, leprosy is primarily a granulomatous disease of the peripheral nerves and mucosa of the upper respiratory tract; skin lesions...
Clinic was bought in April 1963 and patients from all over Pakistan and even from Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
came for treatment.
In two years' time, MALC was transferred to a proper hospital building and established a full-service leprosy treatment and rehabilitation center, free to patients. Volunteer specialists helped, but the staff consists mainly of former patients trained to diagnose and treat the disease and to keep records. Meanwhile, Dr. Pfau took note of the home districts of her patients and identified Pakistan's leprosy belt-the first step in creating a national program of eradication.
Inadequate resources and budget cuts for Pakistan's anti-leprosy program may herald a revival of the disease, especially in poorer areas of the country. Anti-leprosy projects have been integrated into a "multi-purpose health program," depriving them of funds specifically promised for fighting leprosy. Though the new government five-year plan earmarks funds to combat leprosy, the budget shortfall is more than 7 million rupees (US$325,000). Pakistan is on the threshold of achieving a leprosy-free society, the goal is being stifled because of financial constraints.
Though leprosy therapy in use since 1983 is effective, it is expensive and requires patients to receive weekly doses of medicine no longer widely available. The situation is particularly acute in mountainous regions and distant villages with limited access to medicine and doctors. More than 70 relief centers operate in Pakistan. New centers are opening in the North West Frontier Province and Baluchistan
Balochistan (Pakistan)
Balochistan is one of the four provinces or federating units of Pakistan. With an area of 134,051 mi2 or , it is the largest province of Pakistan, constituting approximately 44% of the total land mass of Pakistan. According to the 1998 population census, Balochistan had a population of...
, where a large influx of Afghan refugees has brought many patients suffering from leprosy.
Sister Pfau said that if necessary funds and essential facilities are provided, most leprosy patients will eventually be cured.
The Centre also helped Dr. Drago
Hermanegild Marcos Antonio Drago
Hermanegild Marcos Antonio Drago, was a Pakistani Catholic doctor who was revered across communal lines in the south of Pakistan, for his work in health, education and social welfare....
start a leprosy center in a room of his clinic in Mirpur Khas
Mirpur Khas
Mirpur Khas is a city in the province of Sindh in Pakistan. It is the fifth largest city in the province with an estimated population of 488,590...
for patients who would otherwise need to travel to Karachi for treatment. This has evolved into the Marie Adelaide Drago government leprosy clinic which treats hundreds of patients each year.
In 2003, there are an estimated 20,000 leprosy cases still in Pakistan and 12,000 people already disabled remain in need of care.
In 2010 the Marie Adelaide Leprosy Centre building has grown to eight storeys. Dr. Pfau is being hailed as Pakistan's 'Mother Teresa'.