Government Monday launched a national campaign in 17 districts to eradicate leprosy from the country by the year 2003.

Thousands of health workers will scour towns and villages in 17 of 75 administrative districts for the next 11 months to find the sick and give them free treatment.

The WHO aims to eradicate the disease from the earth by the year 2005. The WHO and other international donors are helping Nepal in the fight against the disease.

Smallpox has been eradicated from Nepal; stray cases of polio are still being reported after another national campaign to eradicate the disease in Nepal.

“The campaign is very important. The disease has adverse impact on the physical, mental, social and economic health of  the nation and society,” Health Minister Sharad Singh Bhandary said.