The World Health Organisation (WHO) will meet next week to discuss whether the monkeypox outbreak is a public health emergency of international concern and whether the name can be changed.
The Director-General of WHO, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, said the organization was working with global partners on changing the name of the virus, its clades and the disease it triggers.
Recently, over 30 international scientists revealed in an online letter that the monkeypox label is discriminatory and stigmatizing.
The group said: “We propose a novel classification of the monkeypox virus that is non-discriminatory and non-stigmatizing and aligned with best practices in naming of infectious diseases in a way that minimizes unnecessary negative impacts on nations, geographic regions, economies and people and that considers the evolution and spread of the virus.”
Monkeypox and smallpox are from the same family but it is much less severe.
WHO Regional Director for Africa, Dr Matshidiso Moeti said the organization is ramping up support to increase testing capacity for monkeypox.
She said: “We are in the process of procuring thousands of tests for the continent.
“As far as the vaccine is concerned, one of the newer and safer smallpox vaccines has been approved for the prevention of monkeypox.
“Although we are certainly not recommending mass vaccination at this stage, we must ensure we are ready should the need arise.”
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