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View all search resultsWHO to use ‘mpox’ for monkeypox to tackle stigma
US Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra said "reducing stigma associated with disease is one critical step in our work to end mpox."
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T
he World Health Organization said on Monday it would start using a new preferred term, "mpox", as a synonym for monkeypox and urged others to follow suit after receiving complaints that the current name for the disease was racist and stigmatizing.
"Both names will be used simultaneously for one year while 'monkeypox' is phased out," the WHO said in a statement.
The WHO launched a public consultation process to find a new name for the disease earlier this year and received more than 200 proposals. The United States, which was among the countries and bodies supporting the name change, welcomed the announcement.
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) will also begin using the term "mpox", CDC director Rochelle Walensky said in a tweet.
"We welcome and support the renaming to mpox to reduce stigma and barriers to care for those most impacted," Walensky added.
US Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra said "reducing stigma associated with disease is one critical step in our work to end mpox."
One of the more popular public suggestions was "mpox" or "Mpox", put forward by men's health organization RÉZO among others. Its director said at the time that the removal of monkey imagery helped people take the health emergency seriously.
