Why California Joins a weekly World Well being Group name : NPR

[ad_1] <img src="https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims3/default/strip/false/crop/4608x3072+0+0/resize/1100/quality/50/format/jpeg/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fe6%2Fa9%2Fedda21c645f9b6b42359d069c139%2Fgettyimages-2256933805.jpg" data-template="https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims3/default/strip/false/crop/4608x3072+0+0/resize/{width}/quality/{quality}/format/{format}/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fe6%2Fa9%2Fedda21c645f9b6b42359d069c139%2Fgettyimages-2256933805.jpg" class="img" alt="Gavin Newsom, governor of California, during the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland, on Thursday, Jan. 22, 2026. The annual Davos gathering of political leaders, top executives and celebrities runs from Jan. 19-23." fetchpriority="high"/> Gavin Newsom, governor of California, on the 2026 Davos gathering of political leaders, executives and celebrities. Newsom met with World Well being Group head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus on the occasion to speak about working collectively to watch rising public well being threats. Krisztian Bocsi/Bloomberg/by way of Getty Photos conceal caption

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Krisztian Bocsi/Bloomberg/by way of Getty Photos At 5 a.m. California time, when it's nonetheless darkish outdoors, a member of the state's Division of Public Well being will get on a weekly name.

The subject? Well being emergencies everywhere in the world.

For years, the U.S. federal authorities participated in these calls, that are organized by the World Well being Group. Now — because the Trump Administration says it has withdrawn from WHO over its dealing with of COVID, amongst different issues — California is stepping in.

It's the first state to affix WHO's World Outbreak Alert & Response Community, often known as GOARN. Dr. Erica Pan, director of the California Division of Public Well being, says she's been in contact with different states hoping to observe go well with. Illinois, in a press launch, stated it is "making preparations" to affix.

"The Trump administration's withdrawal from WHO is a reckless determination that can harm all Californians and People," stated California Governor Gavin Newsom in a press release. "California is not going to bear witness to the chaos this determination will carry."

This transfer by states to take issues into their very own palms is a part of a broader development, in response to Dr. Gavin Yamey, a professor of worldwide well being and public coverage at Duke College.

"I feel it is a very sensible and savvy play," says Yamey. "The federal authorities has reneged on its public well being safety duties, and also you're seeing states taking steps so that they nonetheless are a part of the worldwide response to outbreaks and rising threats."

Not fairly a member however nonetheless a participant That does not imply California, for instance, might develop into a full-fledged WHO member. Many boards and conferences hosted by WHO are restricted to member states — that means nationwide governments. However some elements of WHO, like GOARN, are open to a broader array of teams, together with non-profit and multinational organizations, tutorial facilities and totally different ranges of governments. Like American states.

GOARN is made up of over 350 such teams that work collectively to detect and reply to infectious illness outbreaks and public well being emergencies. The community was created in 2000 after leaders realized {that a} lack of coordination was hindering outbreak response. Since its creation, GOARN has helped manage, analyze and reply to emergencies like SARS, Ebola and mpox.

Members of GOARN take part in weekly calls, get common outbreak updates – and likewise get entry to WHO Epidemic Intelligence from Open Sources platform, which "is constantly scanning international open sources for alerts of outbreaks and well being occasions," says Pan. "We're simply now getting coaching and onboarding."

Pan says taking part within the community and platform brings higher consciousness of worldwide well being threats — and lets the state reply accordingly. "[It] helps us anticipate threats earlier," says Pan, noting a drop-off in federal well being steerage, together with the dearth of a nationwide flu vaccination marketing campaign this flu season.

Certainly, the U.S. federal authorities has stated it doesn't plan to proceed taking part in teams like GOARN. In a press release despatched to NPR earlier this month, the U.S. State Division wrote: "The USA is not going to be taking part in common WHO-led or managed occasions."

"Charting its personal course" As a substitute, the U.S. is taking a unique method, pursuing well being and help agreements straight with particular person international locations. These agreements usually embody sharing illness outbreak info.

"The USA is charting its personal course on international well being engagement, grounded in accountability, transparency, and the experience of America's public well being establishments," stated a press release from the U.S. Division of Well being and Human Companies to NPR. "States don't set U.S. international coverage."

Not everybody agrees with this stance.

Some conservative voices have urged the U.S. to proceed taking part in sure WHO boards, notably those who present info, information and assessments for rising infectious illness outbreaks. For instance, Brett Schaefer — a senior fellow on the right-leaning thinktank, the American Enterprise Institute — stated, even because the U.S. withdraws from WHO, the U.S. ought to proceed to take part in initiatives just like the Epidemic Intelligence from Open Sources platform "to just remember to have full, sturdy entry to the data."

The sort of worldwide platform can be "a really tough factor for the U.S. to duplicate or to try to construct outdoors of the World Well being Group — additionally [it'd be] considerably inefficient," says Schaefer.

Nevertheless, he stated over e-mail that the jury continues to be out on California's determination to affix GOARN. "It is fascinating however unclear at this level," he wrote, noting that WHO has not clarified California's standing. He added: "It additionally might simply be a PR stunt by Newsom."

WHO didn't reply to NPR's requests for touch upon California's participation in GOARN or some other elements of WHO in addition to on different states which have reached out to affix.

This new mannequin does have a possible draw back — a cut up between states that be part of a part of WHO and states that do not, says Yamey: "You possibly can find yourself having this terrible, tragic divide" the place some state leaders have entry to raised, extra up-to-date outbreak info for making public well being choices than leaders in different states, he says.

Pan says California is hoping to companion with different states that do not be part of GOARN. "Our intent is actually to — acknowledging that we're the largest state with the most important state well being division — step up and supply some management."