California joined WHO’s Global Outbreak Alert and Response Network, countering federal withdrawal from the organization.<\/p>\n
SACRAMENTO, Calif. \u2014 California is joining the World Health Organization\u2019s Global Outbreak Alert and Response Network (GOARN), after the United States withdrew from the entire international organization.<\/p>\n
According to Governor Gavin Newsom\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n
GOARN is a network of hundreds of institutions that responds to public health events, such as the global COVID-19 pandemic. \u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Trump administration\u2019s 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\u2019s Global Outbreak Alert & Response Network.\u201d Newsom said in a statement.<\/p>\n
Federal officials attributed the reason for withdrawing from the WHO to what they referred to as \u201cfailures\u201d from the organization\u2019s handling of the COVID-19 pandemic.<\/p>\n
\u201cLike 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\u2019s largest financial contributor, the organization pursued a politicized, bureaucratic agenda driven by nations hostile to American interests,\u201d said Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Health and Human Services Secretary Robert Kennedy Jr. in a joint statement.<\/p>\n