The World Health Organization Plans to Rename Monkeypox to 'MPOX'

‘Monkeypox’ is to be renamed as ‘MPOX’ by the World Health Organization, in an effort to de-stigmatize the virus that gained a foothold in the U.S. earlier this year. It comes in response to growing pressure from senior Biden officials, who urged WHO leaders to change the name and suggested that the U.S. would act unilaterally if the international body did not move quickly enough.

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The Stigma Behind the Monkeypox Virus

Other epidemiological studies have affirmed the finding that gay and bisexual men having sexual interaction with men are, at present, by far the most affected group by the monkeypox virus. In line with these findings, much of the international and European outbreak response has been focused on the group of LGBTQ+ community, particularly gay and bisexual men. Earlier this year, the WHO issued an advisory in relation to 'public health advice for gay and bisexual men who have sex with men’ on May 25, 2022, followed by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) on June 10, 2022.

The WHO Monkeypox IHR Emergency Committee has called for response actions to stop human-to-human transmission, including contact tracing and tailored vaccination campaigns, with a priority based focus on gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men (1^✔ ✔Trusted Source
Monkeypox, stigma and public health

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This led to the generation of misconceptions about monkeypox by the public as a disease exclusively spread through same-sex sexual intercourse, as was the case with AIDS (which was initially labelled as ‘gay-related immune deficiency (GRID),’ ‘gay cancer’ or ‘gay plague’)

This increased the discrimination against and stigmatization of gay and bisexual men and, more generally, of the LGBTQI+ community as a whole. This increased stigmatization will exacerbate health and economic inequalities suffered by gay and bisexual men and jeopardize efforts to combat monkeypox.

It must be clear to people that anyone and everyone can acquire monkeypox, regardless of gender identity, sexual orientation, or age. Proper emphasis regarding the different modes of transmission, including direct contact with the rash that is infectious in nature, respiratory secretions during face-to-face contact, and touching infected objects, is also being given (2^✔ ✔Trusted Source
Stigma during monkeypox outbreak

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The Biden administration has been worried for months that the virus’s name was deepening the stigma, especially among people of color, and that the slow movement toward a new designation was hampering the vaccination campaign it started over the summer; the people with knowledge of the matter said.

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Epidemiology of Monkeypox Virus

Monkeypox is an infection caused by a virus similar to the now-eradicated smallpox virus. It has been most common in some African countries, but outbreaks have occurred in other areas from time to time. In 2022, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared a global health emergency since monkeypox had spread to many countries through social interactions and intimate contact.

The documented cases of monkeypox in non-endemic nations, as per the data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, show that there have been close to 80,000 infections in the world today (3^✔ ✔Trusted Source
2022 Monkeypox Outbreak Global Map

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In contrast to West or Central Africa, where the monkeypox virus is endemic, the majority of confirmed cases with travel histories mentioned visits to Europe and North America (4^✔ ✔Trusted Source
The changing epidemiology of human monkeypox-A potential threat? A systematic review

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While monkeypox cases spreading globally in 2022 can cause severe diseases, the infection most often clears up on its own. Monkeypox may be most severe in young children, especially if they have poor nutritional status. In the previous years, fatal cases have occurred, primarily among children in Africa.

According to a statement made by the WHO last month, monkeypox continues to meet the requirements of the International Health Regulations (IHR) for a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC).

“The Emergency Committee acknowledged that some progress has been made in the global response to the multi-country outbreak of monkeypox since the last meeting, including the emerging information on the effectiveness of behavioral interventions and vaccines,” the WHO said in a statement. This follows the third meeting of the IHR Emergency Committee regarding the multi-country outbreak of monkeypox.

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Signs and Symptoms of Monkeypox Virus Infection

Monkeypox symptoms include swollen lymph nodes, fever, and a rash that may initially be mistaken for chickenpox or a sexually transmitted disease if in the genital or anal regions.

Vaccines can prevent monkeypox. They are currently in short supply and are being used to prevent monkeypox disease in people who have been exposed to the virus. When it becomes more widely available, the vaccine may be appropriate to protect at-risk populations, such as men who have sex with men, bisexual people, commercial sex workers, and others who engage in behaviors that put them at higher risk for encountering the virus that causes monkeypox.

The infection continues to spread, but because transmission requires close personal contact, the rate is much slower than that of the SARS-CoV-2 virus (the coronavirus that causes COVID-19), and there are fewer cases.

We should understand that framing the monkeypox outbreak as only or mostly spreading by means of sexual intercourse by the LGBTQ+ community could make the situation worse, which is similar to what happened in the eighties during the HIV/AIDS epidemic.

This risk is even higher in the age of the internet, where biased news spreads at the speed of light. Discrimination and homo-, bi-, and trans-phobia only contribute to generating new infectious cases, increasing health vulnerabilities, and widening disparities, undermining efforts to trace cases and implement public health interventions to control and contain the outbreak.

Thus, this step by the WHO and the Biden government is an attempt to de-stigmatize the disease and prevent its further outbreak.

Reference:

1. Monkeypox, stigma and public health - (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36338836/)
2. Stigma during monkeypox outbreak - (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36203672/)
3. 2022 Monkeypox Outbreak Global Map - (https://www.cdc.gov/poxvirus/monkeypox/response/2022/world-map.html)
4. The changing epidemiology of human monkeypox-A potential threat? A systematic review - (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35148313/)

Source-Medindia