KATHMANDU: Nepal has been declared as an open defaecation free (ODF) country amid a programme here today. Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli made the declaration on this notable achievement Nepal made at a programme organized by Ministry of Water Supply in Kathmandu. The declaration was made in recognition of all 753 local units of 77 districts that had declared themselves ODF recently. Stating that the declaration had catapulted Nepal one step higher in terms of civilization, Oli shared that government was moving ahead taking into account realization of the goals such as elevating the country from below the poverty line, eliminating illiteracy and graduating Nepal from a least developed country to a developed one. He hopes that the declaration would support in the promotion of health and wellbeing of people, reduction in medication expenses, reduction in infection of communicable disease, reduction in mortality rate as well as an increase in life expectancy.