An adult patient is diagnosed with multibacillary (MB) leprosy and started on the current WHO multidrug therapy adopted by the National Leprosy Eradication Programme. Which drugs constitute the DAILY self-administered component of the regimen?

• A Rifampicin and dapsone
• B Clofazimine alone
• C Rifampicin and clofazimine
• D Clofazimine and dapsone ✓

Explanation

In the current 12-month MB regimen, rifampicin and clofazimine are given monthly under supervision, while clofazimine and dapsone are taken daily by the patient without supervision. Rifampicin is never self-administered daily because its bactericidal role demands strict supervised monthly dosing, and daily unsupervised use risks poor adherence and resistance. The same logic makes option C wrong: pairing rifampicin with clofazimine describes the supervised, not the self-administered, component.

Reference: Park's Textbook of Preventive and Social Medicine, 27th ed.

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