Leprosy and Stigma in the South Pacific: A Region-By-Region History with First Person Accounts

The long-lasting effects of leprosy are still evident in various parts of the world. This book details the personal experiences of people in Fiji, New Caledonia, Samoa, Tonga and Vanuatu, the majority of whom contracted leprosy as children. It recounts how the victims were subject to prolonged isolation in various leprosaria as the first effective cure for leprosy only became available after 1949. Oral histories are utilized and verbatim extracts demonstrate the level of stigma experienced by these young people. Topics covered include the exact nature of the diagnosis, removal from one’s family, the experience of isolation, and the reaction of family and villages upon the individual’s return to community life.

Dorothy McMenamin lectures on various aspects of Indian history, particularly modern South Asian history, through the University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand. She has published broadly in journals on topics relating to marginalized communities. This is her second book.