Illinois Joining WHO Global Outbreak Network Despite Federal Withdrawal

Illinois is the second state, after California, to go against the federal government’s withdrawal from the World Health Organization.

The logo of the World Health Organization in front of its headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, on Jan. 23, 2025. Robert Hradil/Getty Images

Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker said on Feb. 3 that the state will join the World Health Organization’s (WHO) Global Outbreak Alert and Response Network despite the United States fully withdrawing from the organization.

This would make Illinois the second state, after California, to go against the federal government’s withdrawal from the organization. President Donald Trump officially pulled the United States from the WHO on Jan. 22, citing its failures in handling the COVID-19 pandemic.