Colorado will pursue joining the World Health Organization’s Global Outbreak Alert and Response Network to strengthen access to international public health data and early-warning systems, Governor Jared Polis announced Friday.

The move comes after the United States’ withdrawal from the World Health Organization became official in January. State officials said participation in the network, known as GOARN, would allow Colorado to engage more directly with global public health experts and scientific data to help detect and respond to infectious disease threats.

“We want to learn from health science around the world to help make sure Coloradans can get the most advanced and effective treatments for diseases,” Polis said in a statement. He said the federal withdrawal reduced states’ access to global public health data and that Colorado is taking steps to better connect doctors and hospitals to international early-warning systems.

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GOARN is a WHO-coordinated partnership of more than 360 public health institutions, laboratories and response organizations worldwide that work together to detect, verify and respond to infectious disease outbreaks and public health emergencies.

State health leaders said participation would strengthen Colorado’s ability to monitor emerging threats while also allowing the state to contribute its expertise to international response efforts.

“Colorado has built one of the strongest state public health systems in the country,” said Jill Hunsaker Ryan, executive director of the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment. She said access to a global early-warning network would help protect communities statewide.

Dr. Rachel Herlihy, the state epidemiologist and deputy chief medical officer, said coordinated global surveillance allows health officials to identify risks sooner and respond more effectively. She noted Colorado’s capabilities in epidemiology, laboratory science, genomic sequencing and wastewater surveillance.

Participation in GOARN would also build on Colorado’s recent involvement in multistate public health initiatives. In October, the state became a founding member of the Governors Public Health Alliance, a nonpartisan coalition focused on strengthening preparedness and coordination across state lines.

Following the U.S. withdrawal from the WHO, the alliance announced a coordinated effort with Boston University’s Center on Emerging Infectious Diseases to use disease-tracking information from the Biothreats Emergence, Analysis and Communications Network, known as BEACON. State officials said Colorado will continue working with those partners to enhance data sharing and coordinated responses to emerging health threats.