Names
In November 2022 the WHO decided to change the name. The United Nations Health Agency noted that the reports of private individuals and countries had received about the “racist and stigmatizing language online, in other environments and in some communities.” The WHO decided to switch to the name “Mpox” with a one -year -old revenue.
The agency has also clarified its authority to make such a change and to say: “assigning names to new and, very exceptionally, to existing diseases is the responsibility of WHO under the international classification of diseases (ICD) and the WHO family of international health -related classifications through a consultative process that includes member states.”
However, the WHO does not have the authority to change the names of viruses. That power belongs to the International Taxonomy of Viruses, which has not changed the name of the virus.
Although the virus remains the same, the world has shifted to the use of MPOX to discuss the disease. The American CDC followed, changed its websites and health information to use the new name.
This month, however, the CDC returned to Monkeypox. The change was first reported by NPR. When journalists have asked about change, the Ministry of Health and Human Services (including the CDC) only responded by saying: “Monkeypox is the name of the viral disease caused by the Monkeypox virus”, which is not accurate.
