On Tuesday, Illinois Governor JB Pritzker announced the state is joining the World Health Organization’s (WHO) Global Outbreak Alert and Response Network (GOARN), a coordinated international network dedicated to monitoring and responding to global disease outbreaks. This move makes Illinois the second state to join the network, following California’s announcement last month.

As a result of President Trump’s withdrawal of the United States from the WHO, Illinois will now be directly connected to global alerts, expert public health networks, and international response capabilities essential to protecting Illinois residents from emerging disease threats. ​

“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,” said Governor Pritzker. “By joining the World Health Organization’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 outbreak response network, GOARN, is a WHO-coordinated, worldwide partnership of hundreds of public health institutions, national governments, academic centers, laboratories, and response organizations focused on rapidly detecting and responding to emerging public health threats. Membership in this network strengthens Illinois’ preparedness for future pandemics and emerging threats. It also complements the Illinois Department of Public Health’s (IDPH) ongoing coordination with U.S. public-health partners, fortifying response efforts at home while gaining access to global expertise and real-time outbreak intelligence.

By joining the network, Illinois will benefit from WHO membership resources, including:

• Direct access to global early-warning alerts and outbreak intelligence.
• Opportunities for technical collaboration and surge support during major public health events.
• Participation in international training, exercises, and best-practice exchanges.
• Stronger coordination between state-level public health systems and global response efforts.

Illinois already brings state resources, experience, and other advantages to GOARN:

• Strong epidemiologic and laboratory capacity, including expanded genomic sequencing and wastewater surveillance built during COVID-19.
• Rapid deployment expertise supporting outbreak investigations, infection prevention, and risk communication.
• Experience sharing data, expertise, and lessons learned with local, state, federal, academic, and international partners.

As CMM previously reported, 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 President 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 and to inform coordinated responses.

Additionally, Illinois will continue to convene its Global Health Advisory Committee, which brings together leading experts from world-class Illinois institutions to ensure the state benefits from the best available scientific insight and international health intelligence.

Governor Pritzker also signed key legislation that empowers IDPH to offer vaccine guidance through the Immunization Advisory Committee (IAC), reinforcing science-based public health policy and countering misinformation that threatens community health. As CMM previously reported, the American Academy of Pediatrics also published recommendations for immunizations that differ from a schedule recently issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The January/February issue of Cleaning & Maintenance Management is now available in a digital format.

The January/February issue takes a close look at infection prevention best practices, from the collaboration required to eliminate superbugs from healthcare settings to the most efficient cleaning techniques to stop the spread of cold and flu viruses. It examines the latest technology to remove pathogens that cause healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) and methods of cleaning that are safe for people with chemical sensitivities.

Beyond infection prevention, the latest issue of CMM reveals expert tips on marketing your business to millennial and Gen Z customers and showcases a new column geared to the advancement of the Hispanic cleaning community.

Here’s a quick look at what you’ll find in this issue:

• Battling Superbugs in Healthcare Settings: How improved cleaning protocols are winning the fight against antimicrobial resistance
• A Personal Touch Sells Your Services: BSCs share their tips on marketing to millennials and Gen Z
• Cleaning for Health in Winter: Modify your cleaning processes to interrupt the spread of cold and flu viruses
• Building a Bridge for the Hispanic Cleaning Community: ISSA’s new VEO initiative is the brainchild of two women
• Cleaning for Sensitive Populations: Reducing your chemical footprint makes economic and health sense
• Healthcare Hygiene and Cleaning Go High Teach Against HAIs: Tech solutions monitor hand hygiene and pinpoint infectious pathogens in hospitals
• Cross Contamination Is Not Inevitable: Controlling the silent threat in your facility
• Advance the Cleaning Industry With Transparency: Transparency about products and processes goes beyond marketing to build customer loyalty

Check out the table of contents to see all this edition of CMM has to offer, including a Made in the USA product showcase.