California Becomes First State to Join WHO

With the United States withdrawing from the World Health Organization (WHO), California has become the first and only state to join the United Nations health agency’s Global Outbreak Alert & Response Network (GOARN). Governor Newsom aims for this to strengthen public health preparedness and rapid response coordination.

During his recent trip to the World Economic Forum in Switzerland, Governor Newsom met with WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus to discuss collaboration to detect and respond to emerging public health threats.

GOARN is a WHO-coordinated international network that brings together hundreds of public health institutions, national governments, academic centers, laboratories, and response organizations worldwide. GOARN’s mission is to rapidly detect, verify, assess, and respond to emerging public health threats—particularly those with cross-border or pandemic potential.

Last month, Governor Newsom announced the launch of the Public Health Network Innovation Exchange (PHNIX), a new California-led initiative to modernize public health infrastructure and maintain trust in science-driven decision-making. 

In October, Governor Gavin Newsom joined 14 other governors in launching the Governors Public Health Alliance, a new nonpartisan hub coordinating public health leadership across the country. The alliance helps strengthen emergency preparedness, improve communication, facilitate data and expertise sharing, and ensure that states and territories can respond quickly and consistently to emerging health threats.

Last year, California also joined Oregon, Hawaii, and Washington in launching the West Coast Health Alliance. Through this partnership, the four states have coordinated health guidelines by aligning immunization recommendations informed by respected national medical organizations, allowing residents to receive consistent, science-based recommendations they can rely on—regardless of shifting federal actions.

In September, Governor Newsom signed AB 144, authorizing California to base immunization guidance on credible, independent medical organizations rather than the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s increasingly politicized Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP). That same day, the West Coast Health Alliance announced coordinated winter virus vaccination recommendations, including the 2025–26 COVID-19, influenza, and RSV vaccines.