Leprosy's Complex Legacy: Belgium's Role in the Fight Against Stigma
Epidemiologists — those who study diseases — claim leprosy may be the oldest affliction in human history. Social scientists believe this disease carries the longest-lasting social stigma ever known. Religious scholars have interpreted leprosy as a metaphor for the battle between good and evil. The disease that we call leprosy has a long and misunderstood legacy. Interestingly, Belgium has played a significant and ongoing role in shaping this narrative. Consider…
The word “leprosy” is believed to be derived from the Greek words lepros (scaly man) and lepin (to peel). The Romans referred to it as elephantiasis graecorum, hinting at an enlargement or loss of body parts. Leprosy is an insidious bacterial infection, which can lead to tissue loss, nerve and respiratory damage, and deformities.
Archeological evidence suggests that this skin disease can be traced as far back as circa 600 B.C. Some of the earliest written accounts are from the Bible. In the Old Testament, leprosy is mentioned over 50 times, often as a symbol of being “unclean” or a punishment for sin. The leper was to “live alone outside of the camp,” as noted in Leviticus. In the New Testament, however, Jesus interacts with the lepers, challenging prevailing social norms. Through his compassion, healing, and interaction, Jesus aimed to restore the dignity and societal place of those afflicted—an act of both spiritual and social revolution.
Belgium’s Historical Connection to Leprosy
In Europe, early written accounts of leprosy mention “leper colonies” that were established in and around what is now Belgium. These colonies, complete with formal restrictions and bearing a lingering stigma, appear in historical records from Verdun and Ypres as early as 634 A.D. It’s estimated that the territory of modern-day Belgium once had 700–800 leper colonies. These communities were typically located on the outskirts of settlements, effectively isolating those diagnosed with the illness from broader society. To be sent to a leper colony was essentially a life sentence of social exclusion.
Throughout the Middle Ages, societal attitudes toward leprosy began to change—albeit slowly—and sometimes for political rather than medical reasons. The leper houses, isolated and stigmatized, evolved into de facto detention centers for individuals whom local elites considered political enemies or troublemakers. In Wallonia, for instance, many were falsely accused of contracting the disease and subsequently incarcerated. These colonies thus became tools for consolidating political, cultural, and economic power.
Much like the contrasting perceptions of leprosy in the Old and New Testaments, it was a Belgian—a Catholic priest from rural Flanders—who helped to change attitudes towards the disease. Meet Father Damien…
The Heroic Journey of Father Damien
Jozef De Veuster, later known as Father Damien, was born in 1840 in Tremelo, Brabant Province, Belgium. In 1865, he became a missionary priest and was assigned to the Catholic Mission on the Kalaupapa Peninsula in what was then the Kingdom of Hawaii. Upon his arrival, he encountered a public health crisis. Native Hawaiians were suffering heavily from various infectious diseases, including smallpox, cholera, influenza, syphilis, and whooping cough—all likely introduced by foreign traders. Without natural immunities, native populations faced catastrophic mortality rates. Leprosy, however, was the most stigmatized and feared of these diseases. At the time, it was thought to be highly contagious, incurable, and a condition that warranted isolation.
For 16 years, Father Damien dedicated himself to caring for the spiritual, physical, and emotional needs of people living in Hawaiian leper colonies, where more than 8,000 individuals had been confined. His contributions went far beyond religious duties; he helped build houses, schools, roads, hospitals, and churches. He created a reservoir, dressed wounds, built coffins, dug graves, spoke the local dialect, and embraced Hawaiian culture.
Father Damien’s selfless work was pivotal in dispelling many of the myths surrounding leprosy. His efforts did not go unnoticed internationally. In 1873, Norwegian researcher G.H.A. Hansen discovered the bacteria that caused leprosy, paving the way for better treatments, therapies, and medications. Importantly, he found that leprosy was not highly contagious and that around 90% of the human population was naturally immune.
In 1889, Scottish author Robert Louis Stevenson, best known for Treasure Island and Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde,
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