Illinois Joins WHO Global Outbreak Alert and Response Network

IL Dept of Public Health News

Published February 3rd, 2026

Detected February 13th, 2026

Summary

The State of Illinois announced it is joining the World Health Organization's Global Outbreak Alert and Response Network (GOARN). This action follows the U.S. withdrawal from the WHO and aims to ensure Illinois has direct access to global outbreak alerts and response capabilities.

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What changed

Illinois has officially joined the World Health Organization's Global Outbreak Alert and Response Network (GOARN), a move intended to bolster the state's public health preparedness. This decision comes in the wake of the U.S. withdrawal from the WHO, with Governor Pritzker emphasizing the need for direct access to international disease outbreak intelligence and response networks to protect Illinois residents. The network connects public health institutions, governments, and organizations worldwide for rapid detection and response to emerging threats.

This action signifies a proactive step by Illinois to maintain global public health cooperation independently. While not a binding regulatory change for most entities, it enhances the state's capacity to monitor and respond to pandemics and other health emergencies. Public health authorities and government agencies within Illinois will be most directly impacted by this enhanced connectivity, potentially leading to new information sharing protocols and collaborative response efforts. The announcement underscores a commitment to science-based public health policy despite federal actions.

What to do next

Review Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) communications regarding GOARN integration.
Assess potential impacts on state-level disease surveillance and response protocols.
Ensure alignment with any new information sharing or collaboration requirements stemming from GOARN membership.

Source document (simplified)

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Back

Illinois Joins the World Health Organization’s Global Outbreak Alert and Response Network

News – Tuesday, February 3, 2026 print Email Governor Pritzker vows to keep Illinoisans informed, protected, and prepared amid President Trump’s retreat from global public health cooperation

CHICAGO – Today, Governor Pritzker announced the State of Illinois is joining the World Health Organization’s (WHO) Global Outbreak Alert and Response Network (GOARN), a coordinated international network dedicated to monitoring and responding to global disease outbreaks.

Following President Trump’s withdrawal of the United States from the World Health Organization and retreat from global public health cooperation, Illinois will now be directly connected to timely global alerts, expert public health networks, and international response capabilities essential to protecting Illinois residents from emerging disease threats.

“By withdrawing from the World Health Organization, Donald Trump has undermined science and weakened our nation’s ability to detect and respond to global health threats. I refuse to sit idly by and let that happen,” said Governor JB Pritzker. "By joining the World Health Organization’s coordinated network, GOARN, we are ensuring that our public health leaders – and the public – have the information, expertise, and partnerships they need to protect the people of our state. Across our state and alongside valued partners around the world, Illinois will continue to put science, preparedness, and people first.”

“We're dedicated to following the international standard for health and wellness, and this is another step in that work,” said Lieutenant Governor Juliana Stratton. “Just as Illinois continues to follow a scientifically supported vaccine schedule, we will continue to rely on evidence, data, and medical expertise to guide our decisions. We will always choose the health of our people over political grandstanding or misinformation, and we will remain focused on what keeps families and communities safe.”

The outbreak response network, GOARN, is a WHO-coordinated, worldwide partnership of hundreds of public health institutions, national governments, academic centers, laboratories, and response organizations focused on rapidly detecting and responding to emerging public health threats. Membership in this network strengthens Illinois’ preparedness for future pandemics and emerging threats, and complements the Illinois Department of Public Health’s (IDPH) ongoing coordination with U.S. public-health partners, fortifying response efforts at home while gaining access to global expertise and real-time outbreak intelligence.

“Disease knows no borders, and Illinois is taking decisive steps to strengthen our preparedness,” said IDPH Director Dr. Sameer Vohra. “Joining the World Health Organization's GOARN connects us to global experts, rapid alerts, and real-time intelligence, essential tools for preventing and managing outbreaks. Under Governor Pritzker’s leadership, IDPH will continue to take decisive action to protect the health of Illinois residents.”

By joining the network, Illinois will benefit from WHO membership resources including:

Direct access to global early-warning alerts and outbreak intelligence.
Opportunities for technical collaboration and surge support during major public health events.
Participation in international training, exercises, and best-practice exchanges.
Stronger coordination between state-level public health systems and global response efforts.
Illinois already brings state resources, experience, and other advantages to GOARN:
Strong epidemiologic and laboratory capacity, including expanded genomic sequencing and wastewater surveillance built during COVID-19.
Rapid deployment expertise supporting outbreak investigations, infection prevention, and risk communication.
Experience sharing data, expertise, and lessons learned with local, state, federal, academic, and international partners.
Governor Pritzker is dedicated to maintaining strong public health infrastructure in Illinois, despite federal actions that have eroded trust in science and weakened public health coordination and capacity.

In October 2025, Governor Pritzker joined the Governors Public Health Alliance, a coalition of 15 governors committed to countering the Trump Administration's dismantling of America’s public health infrastructure, war on science, and efforts to strip healthcare from millions of Americans. Following Donald Trump’s withdrawal from WHO, the Alliance announced a new coordinated effort with Boston University’s Center on Emerging Infectious Diseases to use information from BEACON – the Biothreats Emergence, Analysis, and Communications Network for disease tracking and to inform coordinated responses.

Additionally, Illinois will continue to convene its Global Health Advisory Committee, which brings together leading experts from world-class Illinois institutions to ensure the state benefits from the best available scientific insight and international health intelligence.

Governor Pritzker also signed key legislation that empowers IDPH to offer vaccine guidance through the Immunization Advisory Committee (IAC), reinforcing science-based public health policy and countering misinformation that threatens community health.

These efforts reflect Illinois' relentless commitment to putting people and science first, and to providing residents with timely, evidence-based information to help them to protect their health and the health of their loved ones.