Newsom announces California will remain in WHO network despite US withdrawal

The governor said California is now the first and only state to join WHO's Global Outbreak Alert & Response Network, which is designed to rapidly detect, verify, assess, and respond to emerging public health threats.

Published: January 23, 2026 9:57pm

California Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom announced Friday that the Golden State will remain a part of the World Health Organization's network, even though the Trump administration just completed the United States' withdrawal from the WHO.

Newsom made the announcement after meeting with WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, this week.

The governor said California is now the first and only state to join WHO's Global Outbreak Alert & Response Network, which is tasked with rapidly detecting, verifying, assessing, and responding to emerging public health threats.

“The Trump administration’s withdrawal from WHO is a reckless decision that will hurt all Californians and Americans," Newsom said in a statement. "California will not bear witness to the chaos this decision will bring. We will continue to foster partnerships across the globe and remain at the forefront of public health preparedness."

The Department of Health and Human Services and the State Department confirmed Thursday that the U.S. completed its withdrawal from the WHO over its handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, which comes after President Donald Trump signed an executive order that began the process last year.

Tedros slammed Trump's decision to pull the U.S. from the global health coalition, claiming the decision put the organization and U.S. in a “lose-lose” situation. 

“It’s not really the right decision, I want to say bluntly, because I believe that there are many things that are done through WHO that benefits the U.S., and only the WHO does, and especially the health security issues,” he told The Hill. “That’s why I say the U.S. cannot be safe without working with the WHO.” 

Misty Severi is a news reporter for Just The News. You can follow her on X for more coverage.

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