California to become first US state to participate in WHO
The announcement was made shortly after the United States finalized its departure from the WHO, bringing to an end nearly eight decades of involvement since being a founding member.
“As President Trump withdraws the United States from the World Health Organization, California is stepping up under Governor Gavin Newsom — becoming the first, and currently the only, state to join the WHO’s Global Outbreak Alert & Response Network (GOARN), strengthening public health preparedness and rapid response coordination,” said the governor's office in a statement.
The statement also quoted the governor as sharply criticizing the federal move away from the global health agency.
“The Trump administration’s withdrawal from WHO is a reckless decision that will hurt all Californians and Americans," the statement cited Newsom as saying.
"California will not bear witness to the chaos this decision will bring.”
With a population approaching 40 million, California remains the most populous state in the country, accounting for roughly 12% of the US population. Analysts often note that if the state were considered an independent nation, it would rank among the world’s most populous countries and possess the fifth-largest economy globally.
Relations between President Donald Trump and the California governor have been strained since the beginning of Trump’s second term, with repeated clashes over federal and state authority. These tensions have included disagreements over the deployment of National Guard forces to California during the summer.
The WHO’s Global Outbreak Alert and Response Network is designed to monitor emerging epidemics, assess potential health threats, and strengthen international cooperation in responding to disease outbreaks.
According to public health experts, the importance of such cross-border mechanisms was clearly demonstrated during the COVID-19 pandemic, which spread rapidly across countries, underscoring that infectious diseases do not recognize national boundaries.
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