California joined WHO’s Global Outbreak Alert and Response Network, countering federal withdrawal from the organization.
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — California is joining the World Health Organization’s Global Outbreak Alert and Response Network (GOARN), after the United States withdrew from the entire international organization.
According to Governor Gavin Newsom’s press office, California became the first state in the nation to join the network, following his meeting with the WHO Director-General, Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, in Devos.
GOARN is a network of hundreds of institutions that responds to public health events, such as the global COVID-19 pandemic.
“The Trump administration’s withdrawal from WHO is a reckless decision that will hurt all Californians and Americans. California will not bear witness to the chaos this decision will bring. We will continue to foster partnerships across the globe and remain at the forefront of public health preparedness, including through our membership as the only state in WHO’s Global Outbreak Alert & Response Network.” Newsom said in a statement.
Federal officials attributed the reason for withdrawing from the WHO to what they referred to as “failures” from the organization’s handling of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Like many international organizations, the WHO abandoned its core mission and acted repeatedly against the interests of the United States. Although the United States was a founding member and the WHO’s largest financial contributor, the organization pursued a politicized, bureaucratic agenda driven by nations hostile to American interests,” said Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Health and Human Services Secretary Robert Kennedy Jr. in a joint statement.
According to the Associated Press, Trump administration officials say they already have public health relationships with many countries and are working to ensure direct sharing of that kind of information, rather than having WHO serve as a middleman. But U.S. officials did not give specifics about how many such arrangements are in place.
The handling of public health issues has long been a point of contention between the federal government and California, especially regarding vaccine recommendations. Last year, Newsom signed legislation directing California to follow independent medical organizations rather than the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s immunization recommendations.
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