New York City joins WHO health network after US exit

Move comes after Trump formally withdrew the US from the World Health Organisation, prompting Democratic-led states to act independently.

WASHINGTON: The city of New York has now become a part of the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) global network for responding to outbreaks, joining an international health partnership just weeks after the United States withdrew from the WHO under President Donald Trump.

The New York City Health Department said on Wednesday that it has become a member of the WHO’s Global Outbreak Alert and Response Network (GOARN), which comprises more than 360 public health institutions around the world. The institutions work together to respond to outbreaks of diseases and other health crises. The move comes after the Trump administration chose to end US relations with the WHO, an action that has been widely criticized by health experts and Democratic leaders.

The move by the city of New York comes as a reaction to the withdrawal of the United States from the WHO by the Trump administration. The governors of California and Illinois have also announced that their states will become part of the WHO’s global health partnership.

The WHO’s Global Outbreak Alert and Response Network plays an important role in responding to health threats around the world by providing support in the form of experts and data.

“By participating in GOARN, New York City will have access to a worldwide network of more than 360 institutions and organizations that react to sudden public health events through the mobilization of personnel and resources to affected countries,” the city’s health department said in a statement.

New York City Acting Health Commissioner and Chief Medical Officer Michelle Morse said that joining the network would improve the city’s capacity to identify and respond to health threats. “Infectious diseases do not respect borders, and neither should the knowledge and resources we need to protect New Yorkers,” she said.

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, a long-time critic of Trump’s policies, has often warned that abandoning global health frameworks could make Americans more susceptible to future pandemics.

The United States has formally left the WHO last month after serving a mandatory one-year waiting period set off by an executive order signed by Trump in January 2025. The administration has justified the move by claiming that global institutions do not provide enough benefits to the US and impose an unreasonable burden on the country.

Since returning to work at the White House, Trump has withdrawn the United States from a laundry list of international agreements and UN-related organizations, citing the idea that it’s all about sovereignty and cost. While health professionals and human rights organizations have warned that a withdrawal from the WHO could have the effect of undermining the global community’s readiness for the next pandemic, cities and states in the United States are pressing forward with their own agreements with the global health community.

The United States public health landscape is becoming increasingly fragmented, according to analysts.