Ruth Pfau facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
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Ruth Pfau
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| Born |
Ruth Katherina Martha Pfau
9 September 1929 |
| Died | 10 August 2017 (aged 87) |
| Resting place | Gora Qabaristan, Karachi, Pakistan |
| Monuments | Dr. Ruth Pfau Hospital |
| Nationality | German, Pakistani |
| Other names | "Pakistan's Mother Teresa" |
| Alma mater | University of Mainz |
| Occupation | Roman Catholic Nun, Physician, Writer |
| Known for | Founder of Marie Adelaide Leprosy Centre |
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Notable work
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National Leprosy Control Program in Pakistan |
| Awards | Hilal-i-Imtiaz Ramon Magsaysay Award Hilal-i-Pakistan (1989) Nishan-i-Quaid-i-Azam (2010) Sitara-i-Quaid-i-Azam |
Ruth Katherina Martha Pfau (September 9, 1929 – August 10, 2017) was a German doctor and nun. She moved from Germany to Pakistan in 1961. For over 55 years, she worked to fight leprosy in Pakistan.
Dr. Pfau helped set up 157 leprosy clinics across Pakistan. These clinics treated more than 56,780 people. Two places in Karachi are named after her: Fazaia Ruth Pfau Medical College and Dr. Ruth Pfau Hospital. She passed away in August 2017 and was given a special state funeral.
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Her Early Life
Ruth Pfau was born on September 9, 1929, in Leipzig, Germany. Her family were Christians. She had four sisters and one brother. During World War II, her home was destroyed by bombs. After the war, her family moved to West Germany. Ruth decided to study medicine.
In the 1950s, she studied medicine at the University of Mainz. During this time, she met a Dutch Christian woman. This woman had survived a concentration camp and taught about love. This meeting changed Ruth's life. She became very interested in philosophy.
In 1957, Ruth Pfau went to Paris. She joined a Catholic group called the Daughters of the Heart of Mary. She felt that God had chosen her for a special purpose. The group planned to send her to India. But in 1960, a problem with her visa meant she had to stay in Karachi, Pakistan.
Her Work in Pakistan
In 1960, when she was 31, Dr. Pfau decided to help the people of Pakistan. She wanted to fight against leprosy. By chance, she visited a place where people with leprosy lived. It was behind McLeod Road in Karachi. There, she decided to dedicate her life to caring for these patients.
She started treating leprosy patients in a small hut. Soon, the Marie Adelaide Leprosy Centre was created. This center also helped with other diseases like tuberculosis. People with leprosy came for treatment from all over Pakistan and even from Afghanistan.
In 1979, the Government of Pakistan made her an advisor for leprosy. Dr. Pfau traveled to far-off parts of Pakistan. She went to places where there was no medical help for leprosy patients. She also collected money in Germany and Pakistan to help her work.
Because of her hard work, Pakistan was declared one of the first countries in Asia to control leprosy in 1996. This was announced by the World Health Organization. The number of leprosy cases in Pakistan dropped a lot. In the early 1980s, there were almost 20,000 cases. By 2016, there were only 531.
On September 9, 1999, Christians and Muslims gathered at St. Patrick's Cathedral to celebrate Dr. Pfau's 70th birthday.
Her Passing Away
Dr. Ruth Pfau passed away early in the morning on August 10, 2017. She was at the Aga Khan University Hospital in Karachi. She had been admitted to the hospital because of breathing problems. She had been dealing with health issues like kidney and heart disease for many years.
Reactions to Her Death
Many important people in Pakistan spoke about Dr. Pfau.
- President Mamnoon Hussain said her work to end leprosy would never be forgotten. He said she left her home to serve humanity in Pakistan.
- Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi said that even though she was born in Germany, her heart was always in Pakistan. He said she came to Pakistan to help those who were sick. He also announced that she would have a state funeral.
- Chief of Army Staff Qamar Bajwa called Dr. Pfau an "ambassador of humanity."
- Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Marshal Sohail Aman named a new medical college after her. It is now called "Fazaia Ruth Pfau Medical College."
State Funeral
On September 19, 2017, Dr. Pfau's body was placed at the Holy Family Hospital in Karachi. This was before her funeral. Her state funeral was held at Saint Patrick's Cathedral. The flags of Pakistan and Vatican City were lowered to half-mast.
The Pakistani flag was placed over her coffin. Soldiers from the Pakistan Armed Forces gave a special 19-gun salute. The ceremony was shown live on Pakistan Television. Dr. Pfau was the first Christian and non-Muslim to have a state funeral in Pakistan. She was buried at Gora Qabaristan, a Christian cemetery in Karachi.
Her Legacy
Dr. Pfau is highly respected by Muslims in Pakistan. Most of the patients at the Marie Adelaide Leprosy Centre were Muslim. People say she never talked about religion. But her faith, service, and love showed how different religions can work together.
In 2018, Dr. Pfau's home in Karachi was turned into a museum. It shows some of her personal belongings.
Awards and Recognition
Dr. Ruth Pfau received many awards for her amazing work.
- On March 23, 1989, she received the Hilal-i-Pakistan award. The President of Pakistan gave her this award.
- In 2000, President Rafiq Tarar praised Dr. Pfau. He said she built the National Leprosy Control Program in Pakistan. She helped people with leprosy and tuberculosis.
- In 2006, she was named 'Woman of the Year 2006' by City FM89.
- On August 14, 2010, Pakistan's Independence Day, she received the Nishan-i-Quaid-i-Azam. This was for her public service. She was called Pakistan's "Mother Teresa." This was after she helped people affected by the 2010 Pakistan floods.
- In 2015, Dr. Pfau received the Staufer Medal. This is the highest award from the German state of Baden-Württemberg.
- On August 19, 2017, the Civil Hospital, Karachi was renamed Dr. Ruth Pfau Hospital. This was to honor her selfless service.
- On September 9, 2019, Google honored her with a Google Doodle. It showed her treating a patient.
- In February 2020, the President of Pakistan opened the Fazaia Ruth Pfau Medical College in Karachi.
Honours
- 1969: Order of Merit (Germany)
- 1969: Sitara i Quaid i Azam
- 1979: Hilal-e-Imtiaz
- 1989: Hilal-i-Pakistan
- 2002: Ramon Magsaysay Award
- 2003: Jinnah Award from the Jinnah Society
- 2004: Doctor of Science (DSc), honoris causa. Aga Khan University, Karachi.
- 2010: Nishan-i-Quaid-i-Azam for public service.
- 2017: Civil Hospital, Karachi renamed to Dr Ruth K.M. Pfau Hospital
- The Pakistan Mint will make 50,000 special coins to honor Dr. Pfau.
Books
Dr. Ruth Pfau also wrote several books:
- To Light a Candle: Reminiscences and Reflections of Dr Ruth Pfau (1987)
- Wer keine Tränen hat: was mein Leben trägt (2000)
- Verrückter kann man gar nicht leben: Ärztin, Nonne, Powerfrau (2004)
- Das Herz hat seine Gründe: mein Weg (2005)
- Liebe und tu, was du willst: Wege meines Lebens (2006)
- Ma vie, une pure folie: médecin, religieuse, battante (2007)
- Und hätte die Liebe nicht: 50 Jahre in Pakistan (2010)
- Leben heißt anfangen: Worte, die das Herz berühren (2014)
- The Last Word Is Love: Adventure, Medicine, War and God (2017)
See also
In Spanish: Ruth Pfau para niños
