The New York City Health Department announced on February 4, local time, that it has joined the Global Outbreak Alert and Response Network (GOARN), a sub-unit of the World Health Organization (WHO).
Previously, California and Illinois in the United States had separately announced their participation in this global pandemic prevention network.
On January 20, 2025, U.S. President Trump signed an executive order announcing the U.S. withdrawal from the WHO. On January 22 of this year, it had been one year since the U.S. formally submitted its application to withdraw from the WHO to the United Nations, and the U.S. officially left the WHO in procedural terms.
While the federal government withdrew, local governments joined. This is a direct response to the Trump administration's withdrawal from the WHO.
New York City joined the GOARN network coordinated by the WHO, which consists of hundreds of public health institutions, laboratories, and other organizations around the world, focusing on cross-border epidemic monitoring and emergency response.
The New York City Health Department emphasized in its statement that "it would not stand by and allow the chaos caused by this decision (withdrawing from the WHO)" and aims to continue international cooperation while strengthening local public health defense capabilities. This move is seen as an open resistance to federal policy, highlighting the political division within the United States.
New York City's "joining the group" is a counterattack by local political forces against the federal unilateralism, and also a practical choice to safeguard public health security. This action resonates with California, reflecting the local self-rescue model under the U.S. policy fragmentation, while highlighting the foundational value of multilateral cooperation mechanisms in addressing global crises.
Original: toutiao.com/article/1856324390173708/
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