Overview
- Illinois’ Department of Public Health joined WHO’s Global Outbreak Alert and Response Network on Feb. 3, becoming the second state after California to secure direct global alerts and surge support.
- New York City announced on Feb. 4 that its health department joined GOARN, the first U.S. municipality to do so, gaining access to a network of more than 360 technical institutions and expert deployments.
- Illinois officials said membership preserves real-time early warnings vital for a global hub like O’Hare, citing the recent Marburg outbreak in Ethiopia as an example of alerts they want delivered directly.
- GOARN membership carries no fee, with Illinois offering contributions such as genomic sequencing, wastewater surveillance, outbreak investigation expertise and risk communication.
- The White House criticized the moves and WHO’s COVID-19 record, while public health experts and Illinois leaders say state and city participation helps fill information gaps but cannot replace a federal role in WHO.