(June 2015-December 2018)
Background: Together with the Ministry of Health, NLR Nepal started the LPEP (Leprosy Post- Exposure Prophylaxis) pilot project in three districts Jhapa, Morang and Parsa with financial support from Novartis Foundation.

Objective: The LPEP project had been formulated with the specific objective as “to reduce the incidence of leprosy in pilot populations of seven countries within 3 years after the start of the pilot projects” with the following assumptions;
• Contact-based strategies is effective
• PEP with SDR effective under trial conditions
• Impact on incidence if implemented in routine programme not known
• Feasibility, acceptability and cost-effectiveness of PEP to be demonstrated
• Initial operational evidence available from pilots in Eastern Indonesia.

The major objective of this project was to evaluate the feasibility of contact tracing and single dose rifampicin as leprosy post-exposure prophylaxis and the impact on leprosy incidence under routine program conditions. The project aimed in providing Single Dose Rifampicin (SDR) to family members, neighbors and social contacts of leprosy patients and contribute to reducing transmission and in the short to medium term, to reduce the number of new cases of leprosy, and prevent disability through early case finding.

Results: Till December 2018, out of 54,541 contacts of index cases being 54, 207 (99%) were screened and 51,122 (94%) were provided with Single Dose Rifampicin (SDR). Out of the total contacts screened, a total of 248 new leprosy cases and 24 new TB cases are detected. During the period, 4533 service providers were trained whereas 1873 people were oriented from those piloting districts. LPEP piloting has been wrapped up in December 2018 and has now become an integral part of routine leprosy program in national level. This project has also been replicated in 9 other districts.

Nepal Leprosy Fellowship (NLF)
The Leprosy Mission Nepal (TLMN)
District Health Office (DHO)
Leprosy Control and Disability Management Section