Clinical trials

This study evaluates an Empowerment Agency Training (EAT) intervention within the SPHERES programme that aims to strengthen personal agency among workers in primary healthcare centers (Puskesmas) in Indonesia. The intervention focuses on building self-efficacy, behavioural control, leadership, and intentional decision-making through structured training, follow-up action planning, observational support, and sustainability-oriented incentives. Strengthening personal agency is expected to improve the use of data for decision-making and the delivery of priority primary health services at the Puskesmas level.

SPHERES is a health service research trial in the Indonesian primary care system designed to improve health system performance using a structured data-driven action model. The intervention empowers district health leaders to make data-informed decisions that will enhance outcomes across maternal, child, infectious, and non-communicable disease programs.

This trial aims to evaluate the efficacy, tolerability and safety of adjunct metformin added to standard-of-care multi-drug therapy (MDT) in patients with multibacillary leprosy, and explore its effects on immunological endpoints. A double-blind, placebo controlled proof-of-concept trial will be performed in which patients with newly diagnosed multibacillary leprosy will be randomized (1:1) to metformin 1000mg OD versus placebo for 24 weeks in addition to MDT during 48 weeks. The main research question is whether adjunctive metformin, combined with MDT, will improve the clinical outcomes of patients with multibacillary leprosy by mitigating leprosy reactions, thereby reducing nerve damage and corticosteroid use and its associated morbidity. The second aim is to explore whether adjunct metformin, added to MDT, has an acceptable tolerability and safety in patients with multibacillary leprosy.