Reacción a "Reactions: Monkeypox declared an international emergency by WHO"

In my opinion, the current course of monkeypox in the world meets the definition of a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC), so this official declaration is appropriate and necessary.

According to the International Health Regulations (2005) - IHR (2005), a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) is declared for extraordinary events in one territory that already constitute a risk to the public health of other States due to the international spread of a disease, and require a coordinated international response.

It is declared in cases of "severe, sudden, unusual or unexpected" disease that has public health implications beyond the affected State; and which may require immediate international action.

From the first seven cases (in the UK in May 2022, unexpected both because of their number in a few days and the lack of history of travel to any country where the disease was known to exist), to now, the spread of the disease is definitely "severe, sudden, unusual and unexpected".

With already more than 14,000 known cases, with all regions of the world affected (of a disease that was only known in Africa), and with transmission established autochthonously in areas never endemic, the declaration of PHEIC is a fundamental tool to officially give this situation the importance it deserves. This declaration leads to better coordinated surveillance measures, response actions and responsibilities at the global level, which is already clearly a necessity.