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'They should have stuck to music': WHO trolled for changing Monkeypox to Mpox due to stigma

The transition phase has been given a year to phase out the earlier term, and until then the 2 terms will be used simultaneously to avoid confusion

GENEVA, SWITZERLAND: The World Health Organization (WHO) on Monday, November 28, finally said that monkeypox will be now called "mpox." The transition phase has been given one year to phase out the earlier term, and until then the two terms will be used simultaneously to avoid confusion in the middle of the outbreak, while "mpox" will become a preferred term from now on. It was noted that the language used for it was racist, stigmatized, and that several requests for the name change from various countries had been received.

In a press release, the WHO said, "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. In several meetings, public and private, a number of individuals and countries raised concerns and asked WHO to propose a way forward to change the name," reported the Daily Mail.

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The WHO said that various advisory bodies were heard during the consultation process, including experts from the medical and scientific and classification and statistics advisory committees which constituted representatives from government authorities of 45 different countries. Furthermore, the International Classification of Diseases (ICD) process for its update was also speeded up. WHO is responsible and assigns names to new and, very exceptionally, to existing diseases of WHO under the International Classification of Diseases (ICD) and the WHO Family of International Health-Related Classifications through a consultative process which includes WHO Member States.

The WHO said, "In accordance with the ICD update process, WHO held consultations to gather views from a range of experts, as well as countries and the general public, who were invited to submit suggestions for new names." Based on these consultations, and more discussions with WHO’s Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus then recommended the name change, it informed. However, the internet does not seem impressed with many taking a sarcastic jibe at the recent announcement.

A user wrote on Twitter that they didn't consider the term racist but it was the WHO who thought the same. "The WHO has renamed monkeypox to Mpox due to racism concerns. They clearly have racist thoughts because none of us interpret that to be racist other than them." Another user replied by saying, "I preferred when they stuck to music." One user wrote, "They are what they accuse of." One of the users trying to clarify how the news was being interpreted, wrote, "They haven't said anything about the name monkeypox being racist. It's because of the stigma and the racist abuse sufferers have had from some quarters. There's a distinction. That may be a little above you though, so stick to tweets about Tobalerones." Another wrote, "Haven't heard that album yet, is it a re-release?"

This article contains remarks made on the Internet by individual people and organizations. MEAWW cannot confirm them independently and does not support claims or opinions being made online.