PESHAWAR, Sept 24: There is a need to include religious scholars in the next anti-polio campaign to persuade parents to get their children immunized against the crippling disease, says the NWFP chief secretary.

He was chairing a meeting convened to review progress on polio eradication initiatives taken in the NWFP and Fata during the previous campaigns here on Saturday. An official handout quoted him as saying that .

He said that it would be unfortunate if efforts were unsuccessful in cleansing the country of polio. He regretted that Pakistan was one of the seven countries of the world where polio still existed.

Stressing the need for completely eliminating the debilitating disease, the chief secretary said that it was vital to work with dedication to eradicate the polio from the province.

Others who attended the meeting included the director-general of health services, DCOs and political agents.

He asked the DCOs to include women, religious scholars, and elected representatives in the next anti-polio campaign scheduled to be held from Oct 4. He also directed DCOs and other health officials to recommend good workers for award.