By Keerthi Ramesh
California on Friday became the first U.S. state to join an international health network coordinated by the World Health Organization, a dramatic step that underscores growing state-level engagement in global public health amid the federal government’s exit from the WHO.
Gov. Gavin Newsom, announced the affiliation with the WHO’s Global Outbreak Alert and Response Network during a meeting with Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus in Davos, Switzerland, where he was attending the World Economic Forum.
The move makes California the only state currently participating in the WHO-coordinated system, which links hundreds of institutions around the world to share data, expertise and rapid response capabilities in the face of emerging health threats. The partnership is meant to enhance the state’s ability to detect outbreaks early and coordinate technical responses across borders.
Read: US to formally exit WHO: What does it mean (January 22, 2026)
“California will not bear witness to the chaos this decision will bring,” Newsom said in a statement released by his office, sharply criticizing the federal government’s decision to withdraw the United States from the WHO. “We will continue to foster partnerships across the globe and remain at the forefront of public health preparedness.”
The announcement comes just one day after the United States formally completed its withdrawal from the WHO after nearly eight decades as a founding member, ending its participation in the agency’s governance, committees and surveillance systems. Federal officials cited what they described as shortcomings in the WHO’s pandemic response as among the reasons for the departure.
The U.S. exit also ends the country’s role in the Global Influenza Surveillance and Response System, a critical network for tracking flu strains and informing vaccine development each year. California’s new status in the WHO network does not replace that role, but public health officials say the state’s involvement will help keep lines of scientific and technical communication open.
Under the agreement, the California Department of Public Health is the state’s representative in GOARN. While states cannot independently become members of the WHO itself, which is limited to sovereign nations, participation in GOARN allows California to collaborate directly with international partners, including universities, laboratories and public health agencies.
Read: Davos WEF: US pullback triggers funding crisis in Global Health Initiative (January 19, 2026)
Newsom has positioned the state as a leading voice in public health and cross-border cooperation in recent years. In 2025, California helped launch the West Coast Health Alliance alongside Oregon, Washington and Hawaii to harmonize vaccine recommendations and share data and expertise. The governor also unveiled the Public Health Network Innovation Exchange, aimed at modernizing public health systems within the state.
The governor’s announcement drew mixed responses from leaders and experts. Supporters say California’s participation could enhance preparedness and reinforce science-driven decision-making. Critics argue the effort highlights tensions between state and federal roles in global health policy.
Public health specialists emphasize that while GOARN membership does not confer regulatory authority or international mandates on the state, it provides valuable access to global monitoring networks and collaborative response mechanisms that might otherwise be harder to tap following the U.S. withdrawal from the WHO.
As California charts its own path in global health coordination, the significance of the state’s unprecedented step will continue to unfold in the coming months.