Gov. Green joins 14 governors in nonpartisan alliance to safeguard against public health threats

Hawaiʻi Gov. Josh Green, the only sitting governor in the nation who’s also a physician, is joining 14 other state chief executives in the Governors Public Health Alliance.

The alliance is a new coalition of governors to protect the health of people across the United States. It will serve as a nonpartisan coordinating hub for governors and their public health leaders. It will help coordinate and collaborate to protect the public’s health by facilitating data sharing and communication about health threat detection, emergency preparedness and response, public health guidance and policy, and deployment of experts.

Gov. Green said: “Viruses and illness don’t stop at state borders and our preparedness shouldn’t either. I am proud to be part of this new effort, giving governors and our public health teams new tools to coordinate and deliver clear, consistent, science-based guidance to the public at a time when we are facing unprecedented public health challenges.”

California Gov. Gavin Newsom said: “California is proud to help launch this new alliance because the American people deserve a public health system that puts science before politics. As extremists try to weaponize the CDC and spread misinformation, we’re stepping up to coordinate across states, protect communities, and ensure decisions are driven by data, facts, and the health of the American people.”

Guam Gov. Lou Leon Guerrero said: “On Guam, we see the effects when people – especially children – are not vaccinated. We’ve had cases of measles and other communicable diseases when our neighbors from the outer islands visit or pass through Guam, and they haven’t had the chance to be vaccinated. So we know how important it is to protect access to vaccines and other public health protective measures.”

The Governors Public Health Alliance supports national coordination on public health at the gubernatorial level – complementing existing mechanisms and interfacing with entities like the Northeast Public Health Collaborative and West Coast Health Alliance. The Governors Public Health Alliance will serve as a unified, cross-state liaison with the global health community and will facilitate cross-state collaboration by bringing together regional and other groups to share best practices and surface common challenges, elevating national considerations for vaccine policy and regulatory solutions to keep science front and center.

The Alliance welcomes further engagement across Governors’ Offices and with public health associations and other relevant groups.