US Politico Report ... Name Change Plan Due to Concerns of Stigma and Discrimination
Disease Names Should Minimize Negative Impact and Avoid Causing Discomfort
In English-speaking countries, monkeypox is called Monkeypox. It is likely to be changed to MPOX. Photo by AP Yonhap News
[Asia Economy Reporter Bang Je-il] The World Health Organization (WHO) has announced plans to rename 'Monkeypox' (Monkeypox), which is spreading worldwide, to 'Mpox' (MPOX).
On the 22nd (local time), the U.S. media outlet Politico reported, citing three sources, that WHO plans to rename the disease to remove the 'stigma effect' associated with it.
Earlier, WHO had stated that it would find a new name to replace 'Monkeypox' after a public discussion this summer. Since most transmissions in this year's outbreak are human-to-human and the disease is spreading globally, concerns have been continuously raised that the current name is inaccurate and could deepen discrimination against certain races or groups, such as Africans.
This decision appears to be based on concerns that the existing name 'Monkeypox' could cause stigma by inciting hatred toward monkeys. WHO began discussions on renaming the disease in June this year, when Monkeypox, previously considered an African endemic disease, spread to about 40 countries.
The Biden administration in the United States reportedly expressed concerns that the disease name worsens stigma against people of color and that delays in renaming are disrupting vaccination plans. Politico reported, citing sources, that Biden administration officials pressured WHO leadership, warning that they would take separate action if the renaming was not expedited.
Additionally, health experts cautioned against using photos of African patients in related reports and suggested that the classification of Monkeypox strains should be based on the time of discovery rather than the location of occurrence, using letters and numbers.
The African Foreign Press Association and a group of over 30 international scientists also reiterated the urgent need to rename Monkeypox, stating that the current name is discriminatory and causes stigma.
Monkeypox was first discovered in African monkeys in the 1950s, which is how it got its name, but it has also spread to rodents such as rats and squirrels. Over the decades, it has become a zoonotic disease endemic to about 12 countries in Central and West Africa. However, as Monkeypox spread to non-endemic regions starting with the UK in May this year, discussions on renaming accelerated.
Meanwhile, according to joint recommendations from WHO, the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH), and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations, disease names should minimize negative impacts. In particular, they should not cause offense to specific cultures, societies, countries, regions, occupations, or racial groups. The official announcement of the renaming is expected as early as the 23rd.
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