New York City joins WHO health network after U.S. withdrawal

The New York City (NYC) Health Department said in a statement released on Thursday that it has joined the World Health Organization's (WHO) Global Outbreak Alert and Response Network (GOARN) after the U.S. withdrew from the UN health agency.

Following in the footsteps of the California and Illinois health departments, the NYC Health Department became the first municipal health department in the United States to join this worldwide network.

The department said in the statement that joining GOARN would give the city 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."

"Infectious diseases know no boundaries, and nor should the information and resources that help us protect New Yorkers," New York City Acting Health Commissioner and Chief Medical Officer Michelle Morse added.

The move comes after U.S. President Donald Trump completed the country's withdrawal from the WHO last month, one year after an executive order signed on his first day in office in January 2025. The administration said it has no plans to rejoin or participate as an observer and will instead pursue direct cooperation with other countries on disease surveillance and other public health priorities.

The U.S. departure has received criticism from global health and human rights experts, who warn it could weaken international disease surveillance and emergency response systems.

Washington has traditionally been the WHO's biggest financial backer, contributing around 18 percent of its overall funding. The WHO also notes that as a founding member of the organization, the US has contributed significantly to many of its major public health achievements, including the eradication of smallpox, as well as progress against polio, HIV, Ebola, influenza and more.

In a statement released last month, the WHO expressed regret over the country's decision to withdraw, which "makes both the United States and the world less safe."

Disputes have also arisen over unpaid U.S. contributions, estimated by the WHO to be around $260 million. U.S. officials have rejected claims that outstanding payments are a legal precondition for withdrawal, while WHO member states are expected to discuss the issue at an executive board meeting in February.

Issues raised by the withdrawal are expected to be discussed by the WHO Executive Board at its regular meeting starting on February 2 and the World Health Assembly at its annual meeting in May 2026.