The Biden administration has asked global health officials to rename monkeypox to “MPOX” because the current name is allegedly racist.
Senior White House officials are said to have privately lobbied the World Health Organization for the change, even threatening to change the name to the United States without the agency’s approval if it did not act quickly enough.
Monkeypox caused its first global outbreak this year – infecting 30,000 Americans and killing 14 people – but the virus has been flaring up in Africa for decades.
Biden staff members believe the original outburst of the term carried unnecessary stigma for people of color.
The WHO promised to reconsider the name in June over similar fears of stigma, and a decision is expected within weeks.
Since the outbreak began this summer, there have been concerns about possible racist undertones to the name.
It comes after a study found that monkeypox patients can spread the virus up to four days before symptoms appear, raising questions about current strategies to limit the infection.
The Biden administration is backing the World Health Organization to change the name of monkeypox. In the photo above, Biden is in the Roosevelt Room of the White House in August of this year
In July, the US recorded about 500 cases of monkeypox per day. However, due to increasing awareness and a rapid vaccination campaign, that number has dropped to less than 13.
According to Politico, Biden aides were concerned that the name “monkeypox” was discouraging some Americans from getting vaccinated.
In August, more than 30 scientists wrote a letter to the WHO, saying that “the continued reference and nomenclature that this virus originated in Africa is not only inaccurate, but also discriminatory and stigmatizing.”
They added: “The most obvious manifestation of this is the use of photographs of African patients to portray the smallpox lesions in mainstream media in the Global North.”
The WHO is considering a number of new names, including “MPOX”, “Mpox” and “orthopox “something”.
In August, the WHO renamed the two dominant variants of the virus Clade I and Clade II. Previously they were called the clades of Central Africa and the Congo Basin.
Monkeypox was named in 1958 after it was identified in monkeys imported from Africa to Europe.
Some experts say the term evokes racist stereotypes and reinforces offensive views of Africa.
The US is now in control of the outbreak, with an average of 13 cases per day. At its peak in July, there were more than 400 cases a day.
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Crystal Leahy is an author and health journalist who writes for The Fashion Vibes. With a background in health and wellness, Crystal has a passion for helping people live their best lives through healthy habits and lifestyles.
