Feb 4 - The New York City Health Department said on Wednesday that it has joined the World Health Organization’s Global Outbreak Alert and Response Network (GOARN) in the wake of the United States' recent withdrawal from the U.N. health agency.
City officials framed the decision as a step to preserve direct access to international outbreak response capabilities. In a statement, the health department said:
"By joining GOARN, New York City gains access to a global network of over 360 institutions and organizations that respond to acute public health events with the deployment of staff and resources to affected countries,"
New York City Acting Health Commissioner and Chief Medical Officer Michelle Morse emphasized the cross-border nature of infectious disease threats and the importance of shared information and resources. She said:
"Infectious diseases know no boundaries, and nor should the information and resources that help us protect New Yorkers,"underscoring the rationale for the city’s enrollment in the network.
The announcement follows a broader pattern of subnational leaders moving to maintain or re-establish ties to WHO mechanisms after the federal government enacted an exit. The U.S. formally left the WHO last month after completing a one-year waiting period that followed an executive order signed in January 2025. In response to that federal decision, some Democratic officials have said they will join GOARN.
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani has been publicly critical of the president’s policies. California Governor Gavin Newsom and Illinois Governor JB Pritzker, both Democrats, have likewise indicated their states will join the WHO’s global outbreak response network. Those jurisdictions framed their moves as efforts to ensure ongoing access to technical assistance and coordinated response capacity.
GOARN is designed to respond to acute public health events around the world, including pandemics and disease outbreaks, and is composed of more than 360 technical institutions. Membership provides participating entities with access to a pool of personnel and other resources that can be deployed during international health emergencies.
Since taking office, the president has withdrawn the United States from numerous global and U.N. entities, citing a determination that they do not benefit Washington. Those withdrawals have been criticized by health and human rights experts, according to statements and reactions reported following the decisions. The municipal and state-level responses to the federal exit reflect a divergence between some local leaders and federal policy on international health engagement.