JUBA, Oct 24 (AGCNewsNet) - The United States has attributed the continued transmission of polio in South Sudan to what it describes as inaction on the part of South Sudanese leaders. In a press release marking World Polio Day on Thursday, the US cited unpaid health worker salaries and a long-standing dependency on foreign donors for basic healthcare as major contributors to recurring disease outbreaks, including polio.

The press release called on the South Sudan Transitional Government to address the health needs of its population by using public funds transparently to vaccinate children against polio and other preventable diseases. It noted that historical outbreaks and ongoing polio transmission leave the South Sudanese people vulnerable to the debilitating virus.

For over two decades, the United States, through USAID, has supported the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) in South Sudan, providing $46 million to detect and stop transmission through comprehensive community and environmental surveillance, outbreak investigation, and response activities. Additionally, USAID has supplied polio vaccines as part of broader efforts to control preventable diseases.

South Sudan’s healthcare system remains fragile, with frequent outbreaks of measles and other vaccine-preventable diseases highlighting immunization gaps at the subnational level. The ongoing humanitarian crisis in the country has further impacted access to essential healthcare, underscoring the urgency of strengthening the nation’s health infrastructure.