Monkeypox will now be known as “mpox,” in a bid to destigmatize a disease that has spread to more than 100 countries this year and eradicate racism associated with it, the World Health Organization announced Monday.
Both terms will be used for the next year while “monkeypox” is phased out. It’s highly unusual to rename an existing disease—especially during an international outbreak. But such a move was warranted because of hateful discourse surrounding the condition, both online and in some communities, according to the WHO.
