Illinois Governor JB Pritzker announced on Tuesday that the state has joined the World Health Organization’s Global Outbreak Alert and Response Network (GOARN).
“I refuse to sit by as Donald Trump undermines science and weakens our nation’s ability to detect and respond to global health threats,” Pritzker stated in a release. “By withdrawing from the World Health Organization, Donald Trump has undermined science and weakened our nation’s ability to detect and respond to global health threats. I refuse to sit idly by and let that happen.”
Pritzker added, “By joining the WHO’s coordinated network, GOARN, we are ensuring that our public health leaders – and the public – have the information, expertise, and partnerships they need to protect the people of our state. Across our state and alongside valued partners around the world, Illinois will continue to put science, preparedness, and people first.”
The announcement follows the Trump administration’s formal withdrawal of the United States from the World Health Organization. Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. previously announced last month that “The United States has formally withdrawn from the World Health Organization. We are reclaiming our independence, protecting American sovereignty, and putting U.S. public health policy back in the hands of the American people.”
Pritzker is among a group of Democratic governors who launched the Governors’ Public Health Alliance last October as an apparent rebuke of the Trump administration’s public health policies. The Trump administration initiated its withdrawal from the WHO on January 20, 2025, following an executive order that cited alleged “mishandling of the COVID-19 pandemic” and “other global health crises.”
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus urged the U.S. last month to reconsider its position, calling the move a “lose-lose” situation. He stated, “It’s not really the right decision… because I believe that there are many things that are done through WHO that benefit the U.S., and only the WHO does, especially the health security issues. That’s why I say the U.S. cannot be safe without working with the WHO.”
California became the first state to join the WHO’s global disease monitoring network, a decision Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) described as motivated by the Trump administration’s “reckless decision.” Newsom said in a statement, “California will not bear witness to the chaos this decision will bring.” Lieutenant Governor Juliana Stratton added, “We’re dedicated to following the international standard for health and wellness… Just as Illinois continues to follow a scientifically supported vaccine schedule, we will continue to rely on evidence, data, and medical expertise to guide our decisions.”
In October 2025, Governor Pritzker joined the Governors Public Health Alliance, a coalition of 15 governors committed to countering the Trump Administration’s dismantling of America’s public health infrastructure. Following Donald Trump’s withdrawal from WHO, the Alliance announced a new coordinated effort with Boston University’s Center on Emerging Infectious Diseases to use information from BEACON – the Biothreats Emergence, Analysis, and Communications Network for disease tracking.
Illinois will also continue to convene its Global Health Advisory Committee and Governor Pritzker signed legislation empowering the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) to offer vaccine guidance through the Immunization Advisory Committee (IAC). These efforts reflect Illinois’ commitment to prioritizing people and science, providing residents with timely, evidence-based information to protect their health and that of their loved ones.