KATHMANDU: The Mass Drugs Administration programme of Lymphatic Filariasis, otherwise known as Elephantiasis, which disfigures human body, has been gaining momentum in Nepal. Dr Vishwo Raj Khanal, senior epidemiologist at the Epidemiology and Disease Control Division (EDCD) under the Ministry of Health and Population, said that they had been able to achieve around 80 per cent of the target in the first phase of intervention. EDCD is distributing medicine in 30 districts this year. Under the programme, EDCD has distributed the drug to 19 districts in the first phase ( February 13 and 14). Likewise, in the second phase, they are distributing the medicine on February 20 and 21 in 11 districts. Nepal has set the target of eliminating the disease by the end of 2015. According to World Health Organisation, more than a billion people are at risk of catching the disease in around 83 vulnerable countries. Over 120 million have already been affected by it while over 40 million of them are seriously incapacitated and disfigured. India and Africa account for one-third of the infection with South Asia, along with the Pacific region and the Americas accounting for the rest. Talking to The Himalayan Times, Khanal informed that some groups have been left out by the coverage due to their migration to other areas. He added that the programme has been introduced to halt the transmission of the disease and to reduce and prevent the morbidity rate. He informed that the disease has been recorded in 60 districts across the country. The target population of the programme for this year is one crore and thirty five lakhs.