Illinois joins WHO's global disease network [View all]

Last edited Wed Feb 4, 2026, 07:47 AM - Edit history (1)

Source: The Hill

02/03/26 6:18 PM ET


Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker (D) announced Tuesday that his state is joining the World Health Organization’s (WHO) Global Outbreak Alert and Response Network, becoming the second state to do so since the U.S.’s withdrawal from the organization became official last month.

Officials said Illinois’s participation means the state will now be “directly connected to timely global alert, expert public health networks, and international response capabilities essential to protecting Illinois residents from emerging disease threats.”

Pritzker, in a statement, slammed President Trump’s decision to pull out of the WHO after nearly 80 years of membership.

“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,” Pritzker said in a statement. “Across our state and alongside valued partners around the world, Illinois will continue to put science, preparedness, and people first,” he added.

Read more: https://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/5721580-pritzker-criticizes-trump-who-exit/