Project updates

Stop the Transmission of Leprosy! (PEP++) Project expands to Nepal and Bangladesh

Due to the impact of COVID-19 and previous delays in study authorisations, the Stop the Transmission of Leprosy! (PEP++) Project has expanded to Nepal and Bangladesh since the fourth quarter of 2021. The main motivation behind this measure is to complete the enrolment of the close contacts of persons affected by leprosy into the enhanced preventive treatment regimen trial as quickly as possible to determine its effectiveness at preventing the disease. By working in additional study areas, the teams will be able to collect the data necessary from enough participants (around 230,000 in the trial and 800,000 overall) to answer this key research question.

After reviewing all the research criteria, it was determined that specific districts in Nepal and Bangladesh offer excellent epidemiological and operational conditions for the project. NLR’s ILEP partner, The Leprosy Mission International (TLMI), has contributed additional funding to cover the costs of inclusion of Bangladesh. This partnership is critical not only to finish the PEP++ project over the next three years but also to develop an alliance to promote the replication of the enhanced regimen in other countries in the future.