The World Health Organization has announced the renaming of the monkeypox virus to 'Mpox" virus due to what it describes as “racism and stigmatizing language” associated with the term.
In a statement on Monday, the UN health agency stated that both monkeypox and Mpox would be used for the next year while the old name is phased out.
Shortly after the UN agency declared monkeypox a global emergency in August, WHO began consulting with experts about renaming the disease.
“When the outbreak of monkeypox expanded earlier this year, racist and stigmatizing language online, in other settings and in some communities, was observed and reported to WHO,” the agency said.
“Following a series of consultations with global experts, WHO will begin using a new preferred term ‘Mpox’ as a synonym for monkeypox. Both names will be used simultaneously for one year while ‘monkeypox’ is phased out,” it added.
