New York City calls on WHO to stop using ‘derogatory’ name

New York City on Tuesday (July 27) asked the World Health Organization (WHO) to rename the monkey flu. Monkey disease In English, a name is considered stigmatizing and it pushes patients to isolate themselves rather than seek care.

“We are deeply concerned about the devastating and stigmatizing effects of messaging around the ‘monkey box’ virus. [des] already vulnerable communities”New York City Health Commissioner Ashwin Vasan in a letter to WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Ghebreyesus. The latter mentioned this possible change in mid-June, Mr. Wasson recalled in his letter.

The WHO on Saturday declared a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (USPPI) for monkeypox. This is the maximum warning for a company that has only used it for the seventh time.

The Municipal Health Commissioner has informed about this “Words” has “Rooted in a history of racism and pain for communities of color”.

In his letter, he recalled the negative effects of misinformation during the emergence of the AIDS virus (HIV) or the racism experienced by Asian communities after the Covid-19 pandemic, which was described by US President Donald Trump. “Chinese Virus”.

“Traumatic Feelings of Racism and Stigma”

“Continued use of the term ‘monkey box’ to describe the current outbreak may rekindle these traumatic feelings of racism and stigma – especially for black people and other people of color, as well as members of LGBTQIA + communities, and may avoid them from using essential health care services for this reason.”Adds Ashwin Vasan.

Anyone can catch monkeypox, but since its emergence in Europe and the United States, the virus has spread more among men who have sex with men.

New York is the worst-hit city in the United States, with 1,092 cases of contamination detected since the start of the pandemic. So far this year, more than 15,000 have been confirmed in 74 countries.