Karachi (Staff Report): Pakistan’s ‘Mother Teresa’, Dr Ruth Katharina Martha Pfau, who led a battle against the disease of leprosy, passed away at the age of 87 after protracted illness.
She was under treatment at a private hospital for the last 15 days due to age-related illnesses and her condition had been worsening.
The obituary by MASP Chief Executive Mervyn Lobo said that her funeral prayers will be offered at St Patrick’s Church on August 19.
Dr Pfau was born in Leipzig Germany on September 9, 1929. She came to Pakistan in the 1960s and dedicated her life to taking care of leprosy patients.
Dr Pfau, the founder of the National Leprosy Control Programme in Pakistan, was in charge of the Mary Adelaide Society of Pakistan (MASP), where leprosy patients are treated.
According to MASP CEO Dr Lobo, Dr Pfau had been admitted to the ICU of a private hospital after her health deteriorated earlier.
It was due to the endless struggle of Dr Pfau that Pakistan defeated the disease and became leprosy-free in 1996. She was granted Pakistani citizenship in 1988 and received numerous accolades for her services.
