The history of leprosy in Malta began in the Middle Ages, but the disease became particularly prevalent in the Maltese archipelago during the 19th century.
The history of leprosy in Malta began in the Middle Ages, but the disease became particularly prevalent in the Maltese archipelago during the 19th century.
There is no clear information about the length of time leprosy has been present in Malta, but the origin of the Maltese word is clearly Semitic and suggests a link to Maltese history prior to the arrival of the Normans.[ clarification needed ]
It has been proposed that the Hospitalier religious settlement, which was held by the Franciscans near Mdina, had a leprosarium, but there is a lack of historic evidence to support this.
The first clear testimony about leprosy in Malta is that of Garita Xejbais, a Gozitan, known as erga corpore morbo lepre (effects of leprosy on the body) when he gave his testament in support of the church in 1492. This example equally shows that the sick person maintained their legal rights, contrary to what happened in some European countries during the Middle Ages. [1]
When the knights of the Order of St John of Jerusalem arrived in Malta in 1530, they brought their laws with them to the archipelago. Notably, it was stipulated that a knight who had contracted leprosy could be treated for the disease but could not keep his habit. Quarantine rules were decreed, and when the unwell were welcomed to the Sacra Infermeria , they were cared for in separate cells.
The first case reported during the Hospitalier period is that of a Dominican friar, who died in 1630 at his monastery in Ir-Rabat. [2]
The interest shown by Maltese leaders in the illness grew over the course of the 17th century, as the contagiousness of the disease became better understood. For each suspected case, a precise diagnosis had to be confirmed by multiple specialists.
Census records show that prevalence of the disease remained rather weak as, during the 1687 census, only one 30-year-old woman living in Ħal Qormi is registered as suffering from leprosy, but it is likely that not all cases had been registered, and five other cases were identified during the same period. A few other cases were reported, like that of a religious woman at the monastery of Saint Catherine in Valletta who died in 1770, or that of the son of a Turkish dignitary who came to seek treatment on his journey to Marseille. [1]
At the beginning of the 19th century, cases of leprosy remained sporadic. Between 1839 and 1858, only seven cases of leprosy were noted— four men and three women. Despite these cases, however, the British health authorities in Malta responded negatively to an enquiry from the Royal College of Medicine about the presence of leprosy on the archipelago, recognising nevertheless that cases might be present but unidentified. [3]
However, prevalence of the condition continued to grow during the second half of the 19th century, perhaps due to increased contact with North Africa but also with British India. [3]
A special committee was created in 1883 which noted 30 known cases of the disease. There were 69 cases in 1890, with prevalence estimated at 42 per 100,000. Eight cases were noted in Gozo of which four were in In-Nadur. Only 11 advanced cases of the disease were admitted to the Ospizio for the poor in Il-Furjana. The majority of these cases came from rural areas, such as Ħal Qormi and Il-Mosta. A single case came from Valletta. [2]
In 1892, the construction of a specialist building for leprosy patients linked to the new hospital in Ħal Luqa was agreed, replacing the Ospizio in Il-Furjana. This building was named after Saint Bartholomew. [3] Initially, the hospital only accepted male patients; female patients were only welcomed from 1912 onwards. The maximum number of patients was reached in 1917 with the presence of 114 patients, of which 71 were men and 43 were women, suggesting a prevalence in the archipelago of 49 per 100,000. The presence of the disease declined thereafter. [1]
The isolation conditions were probably very difficult, as the unwell were treated more like prisoners than patients. Several incidents have been noted, in particular in 1900 when there were two attacks on guards and several escapees. A police presence was maintained on the site until 1903. Gradually, the rules regarding isolation were relaxed and the number of incidents diminished. The prevalence of the disease remained constant, with a rate calculated at 47.2 per 100,000 in 1916. [1]
A new specialist service for Gozo patients (Sacré-Cœur hospital) opened at Fort Chambray in Gozo in 1937. [4] However, due to the small number of patients, the service closed in 1956 and Gozo patients were sent to Saint Bartholomew hospital in Malta. [1]
The arrival of effective antibiotics and the death of the oldest patients meant that the number of patients at the hospital diminished until its closure in December 1974. The 22 remaining patients were assigned to quarters in the Hal Ferha Estate (a development created in the abandoned fort of Ħal Għargħur) [5] with the provision of a plot of land to cultivate and the care of a nurse and a doctor. There were no more than five of them in 1994.
The last patient at the Hal Ferha Estate was transferred to a geriatric hospital in 2001. [1] The centre was closed in 2004. [2]
Leprosy has since been considered eradicated in Malta. [6]
Vincent "Ċensu" Tabone, was the fourth president of Malta who also served as Minister and Nationalist MP.
Qormi, also known by its title Città Pinto, is a city in the Southern Region of Malta, southwest of Valletta in the centre of the island. It has a population of 16,324, making it Malta's fifth-largest city.
The Diocese of Gozo is a Latin bishopric (diocese) of the Catholic Church in Malta, and the only suffragan in the ecclesiastical province of the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Malta, together covering the insular state.
Malta is for non-local government purposes divided into districts as opposed to the local government localities. The three main types of such districts – statistical, electoral at national level, and policing – have no mainstream administrative effect as the local councils form the first-tier – moreover only administrative tier – divisions of the country.
In the small Mediterranean island nation of Malta the predominant religion is Roman Catholicism.
Prostitution in Malta is itself legal, but certain activities connected with it, such as running a brothel and loitering, are not. Certain offences are punishable by sentences of up to two years in prison. In March 2008, police and the Malta Ministry for Social Policy signed a memorandum of understanding to formalize a screening process for all arrested persons engaged in prostitution to determine whether they were victims of trafficking or other abuses. The law provides punishments of up to 6 years for involving minors in prostitution.
Leprosy stigma is a type of social stigma, a strong negative feeling towards a person with leprosy relating to their moral status in society. It is also referred to as leprosy-related stigma, leprostigma, and stigma of leprosy. Since ancient times, leprosy instilled the practice of fear and avoidance in many societies because of the associated physical disfigurement and lack of understanding behind its cause. Because of the historical trauma the word "leprosy" invokes, the disease is now referred to as Hansen's disease, named after Gerhard Armauer Hansen who discovered Mycobacterium leprae, the bacterial agent that causes Hansen's disease. Those who have suffered from Hansen's disease describe the impact of social stigma as far worse than the physical manifestations despite it being only mildly contagious and pharmacologically curable. This sentiment is echoed by Weis and Ramakrishna, who noted that "the impact of the meaning of the disease may be a greater source of suffering than symptoms of the disease".
Fort Chambray or Fort Chambrai is a bastioned fort located in the precincts of Għajnsielem, on the island of Gozo, Malta. It was built in the mid-18th century by the Order of Saint John, in an area known as Ras it-Tafal, between the port of Mġarr and Xatt l-Aħmar. The fort was meant to be the citadel of a new city which was to replace the Cittadella as the island's capital, but this plan never materialized.
Worldwide, two to three million people are estimated to be permanently disabled because of leprosy. India has the greatest number of cases, with Brazil second and Indonesia third.
Although leprosy, or Hansen's Disease, was never an epidemic in The United States, cases of leprosy have been reported in Louisiana as early as the 18th century. The first leprosarium in the continental United States existed in Carville, Louisiana from 1894-1999 and Baton Rouge, Louisiana is the home of the only institution in the United States that is exclusively devoted to leprosy consulting, research, and training.
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Irene Condachi was a Maltese physician, one of only two female doctors practicing on the island during World War II. One of the founders of the school medical service, she became the medical officer for the government school and is credited with eradicating scabies in the education system.
The 1813–1814 Malta plague epidemic was the last major outbreak of plague on the islands of Malta and Gozo. It occurred between March 1813 and January 1814 on Malta and between February and May 1814 on Gozo, and the epidemic was officially declared to be over in September 1814. It resulted in approximately 4500 deaths, which was about 5% of the islands' population.
Several epidemics from the plague struck Malta from the medieval era until 1945, claiming almost 20,000 victims in at least ten epidemics over 350 years. After the first epidemics, preventive measures were installed, including a very active lazaret which issued patents of non-contagion for many ships plying the Mediterranean.
The 1675–1676 Malta plague epidemic was a major outbreak of plague on the island of Malta, then ruled by the Order of St John. It occurred between December 1675 and August 1676, and it resulted in approximately 11,300 deaths, making it the deadliest epidemic in Maltese history. Most deaths were in the urban areas, including the capital Valletta and the Three Cities, which had a mortality rate of about 41%. In the rural settlements, the mortality rate was 6.9%.
The 1592–1593 Malta plague epidemic was a major outbreak of plague on the island of Malta, then ruled by the Order of St John. It occurred in three waves between June 1592 and September 1593, during the second plague pandemic, and it resulted in approximately 3000 deaths, which amounted to about 11% of the population. The disease was imported to Malta by Tuscan galleys that had captured vessels from Alexandria. In 1593, the Order requested assistance from Sicily to deal with the epidemic, and the measures taken were effective in containing plague.
The 1623 Malta plague outbreak was a minor outbreak of plague on the island of Malta, then ruled by the Order of St John. It was probably caused by infected materials from a major epidemic in 1592–1593, and it was successfully contained after causing 40 to 45 deaths.
Caterina Scappi was a rich and well-respected benefactor of the Carmelite church in Malta. Little is known about her origins or early life, but she is known for the substantial charitable donations for women's causes. In particular, she founded the first hospital in Malta dedicated exclusively to women.
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