Project coordination
NLR India Foundation
Partners
NLR- until No Leprosy Remains
Aim: This study aimed to determine to what extent a mobile Application-supported SDR PEP delivery system is more effective and feasible than the present paper-based method.
Full project title:
Testing an App supported delivery system for Leprosy Post Exposure Prophylaxis (PEP) services
Final project summary:
One proven method of preventing leprosy is Single-Dose Rifampicin (SDR), a preventive treatment given to people who have been in close contact with someone diagnosed with leprosy. This approach, known as Leprosy Post-Exposure Prophylaxis (LPEP), helps reduce the risk of developing the disease.
Traditionally, LPEP delivery has relied on paper-based systems, which can be difficult to manage, prone to errors, and challenging for follow-up and reporting. To address these limitations, this project developed and evaluated a mobile phone application—the LPEP App—to support health workers in delivering LPEP more efficiently in the districts of Paschim Bardhaman and Howrah in West Bengal, India, between August 2021 and March 2026.
The project focused on generating evidence from a completed randomized controlled trial, sharing findings with key stakeholders, and preparing for future implementation. An exploratory study conducted at the start of the project informed the design and development of the LPEP App. The application was subsequently tested through a randomized controlled trial conducted between October 2023 and October 2024 across 27 clusters, including 14 intervention clusters and 13 control clusters.
The LPEP App digitized key programme activities, including contact listing, eligibility assessment, treatment recording, reporting, and follow-up. By replacing paper-based processes, the App improved data quality and strengthened programme monitoring.
Post-intervention findings showed that the App was both user-friendly and feasible for use in routine public health settings. Health workers reported that it helped them organise their work, record and manage contact information, monitor preventive treatment, and complete follow-up activities more efficiently. The App also supported improved data management and reporting compared with traditional paper-based approaches.
Importantly, the use of the App continued in intervention areas after the formal study period had ended, indicating acceptance and continued use by programme staff within routine service delivery.
Project findings and implementation experiences were shared through national and international scientific meetings, as well as a national dissemination workshop involving government representatives, public health experts, academic institutions, and development partners. Feedback from these stakeholders contributed to further refinement of the application and informed planning for future scale-up and integration.
A major achievement of the project was the development of a clear strategy for expanding the App to additional districts. Technical experts also designed an upgraded version that can be integrated with India's national leprosy information system, Nikusht 2.0, and aligned with the country's broader digital health framework.
Impact
Overall, the project demonstrated how digital tools can support the National Leprosy Eradication Programme (NLEP) by improving LPEP delivery, strengthening follow-up, and enhancing data quality without increasing the workload of frontline health workers. The project also resulted in the development of an upgraded, interoperable version of the application, known as Pratirodh. Plans are underway, in collaboration with the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and the Central Leprosy Division (CLD), to integrate Pratirodh into Nikusht 2.0, supporting wider adoption and strengthening digital approaches to leprosy prevention, monitoring, and transmission reduction.