‘Mpox’ – the new name for monkeypox to fight stigma

THE World Health Organization (WHO) said on Monday (Nov 28) that it would start using “mpox” as a preferred term and synonym for monkeypox and urged others to follow suit in light of complaints that the current name was racist and stigmatising.

“Both names will be used simultaneously for one year while ‘monkeypox’ is phased out,” the global health organisation said.

The WHO launched a public consultation to find a new name for the disease earlier this year.

“Mpox” was one of the more popular proposals, and it was put forward by Canadian men’s health organisation Rezo. Its director said that the removal of monkey imagery helped people take the health emergency seriously.

Other suggestions were farcical, such as “Poxy McPoxface”, which alluded to Boaty McBoatface. The latter almost became the name of a British polar research vessel after a public vote on the choice.

Monkeypox was discovered in 1958 and named after the first animal to show symptoms. The disease mostly spread in a group of countries in west and central Africa until this year. The WHO noted that 110 countries have now reported some 80,000 confirmed cases and 55 deaths. REUTERS