Monkeypox will now be called “mpox” (instead of “monkeypox”), according to a World Health Organization statement.

This change was made after complaints that the original name of the virus stigmatizes cases and is associated with racist references.

The old term will be used alongside the new one throughout the year to phase it out, the WHO said.

The decision to use the term was taken after discussions among experts, governments and civil society.

“The new term can be easily used in both English and other languages,” the WHO said.

It is noted that monkeypox was first identified in 1970 and so named because the virus was first discovered in captive monkeys.

WHO has stressed, among other things, the need to minimize negative impacts on trade and travel, and to avoid offending any cultural, social or ethnic group.

Recall that during the COVID-19 pandemic, WHO recommended that variations be denoted using the letters of the Greek alphabet, as they were easy to pronounce without stigmatizing cases.

Source: BBC