Susanna Kok, SA medical missionary whose work led to the effective diagnosis and treatment of leprosy, dies

  Susanna Helena Kok was born in 1911 in the Free State. She studied medicine at the Universities of Cape Town and the Witwatersrand and became a missionary for the Dutch Reformed Church (DRC). In 1936, she began to work with leprosy patients in Zambia, which was to form the basis of her professional life. After returning to South Africa to obtain a diploma in public health care, she went to Nigeria to work with a leper colony of 16 000 people. During her time here, she discovered a skin disease similar to leprosy known as the Mkar disease. From 1968 onwards, Kok published a number of works in which many myths about leprosy were dispelled. She continued to travel throughout southern Africa, using her medical expertise to provide treatment for leprosy patients in Malawi, Namibia and Mozambique. On 4 November 1985, Susanna Kok passed away. Her pioneering work has led to the effective diagnosis and treatment of leprosy in many parts of the world. Related: SAHO Biographies on Science and Medicine References: Dr. Susanna Kok [online] Available at: whoswhosa.co.za [Accessed 28 October 2009] In Memoriam - Susanna Helena Kok. South African Medical Journal (SAMJ), 1 February 1986. [online] Available at: 196.33.159.102 [Accessed 28 October 2009]