Pox renamed due to racist stigma fears
THE World Health Organisation has renamed monkeypox as mpox.
It cited concerns that the original name of the decades-old animal disease could be construed as discriminatory.
The UN health agency said in a statement that both names would be used for the next year while the original is phased out.
WHO said it is concerned by the “racist and stigmatising language” that arose after the illness spread to people in more than 100 countries.
There have been more than 80,000 cases in countries that had not previously reported the smallpox-related disease.
Outside of Africa, nearly all cases have been in men who have sex with men.