Monkeypox Now Renamed As 'mpox' By WHO To Eliminate Stigma And Racist Roots

In 2022 a group of researchers campaigned to change the name and stop using African patients' faces to talk about Monkeypox. The notion that only Africans have Monkeypox and they are the virus carriers of this disease has been damaging the community. This petition was forwarded by, NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene Commissioner Ashwin Vasan to the WHO director-general expressing “serious concern about continuing to exclusively use the term ‘monkeypox’ given the stigma it may engender, and the painful and racist history within which terminology like this is rooted for communities of color.” the letter read.

"A stigmatizing disease name not only adds to the suffering of those afflicted by or at risk for the disease, but it also makes it more difficult to reach people through public health interventions," shared Vasan. 

This stands true as many Asians were facing discrimination because of Covid-19. They were called out as bat eaters and people causing the world to shut down. Further 

Dr. Jessica Justman, an associate professor of epidemiology at Columbia University, corroborated this to leading internet news published by saying"A health crisis can easily become prolonged or more widespread when people are afraid to acknowledge they are infected and hesitant to seek treatment."

What is mpox?

A patient develops fever, cough, basically a viral fever condition with painful rash or blisters on the body. The fact that it can be passed on when people come in close contact is the way to contract this virus.

This year the US reported over 29,000 confirmed cases and worldwide over 80,000 cases have been recorded.

Changing Virus Names is Normal

Yes, to avoid discrimination, names have been changed AIDS, which was heavily associated with gays was initially called GRID (“gay-related immune deficiency”). However, to stop marginalizing the community they named it Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome.

For the first year, both names will be used simultaneously for a year so the old name wanes easily and people start calling it mpox.