For a year, the old term will continue to be used in conjunction with the new one before being phased off.
After lengthy discussions among experts, countries, and the general public, Mpox was finally decided.
According to the WHO, it can be used in English and other languages.
Human monkeypox was first discovered in 1970. It was named after the virus that was found in monkeys in captivity more than a decade earlier.
It emphasizes the importance of minimizing any negative effects on trade, travel and tourism, as well as avoiding offending any cultural, national, or ethnic group.
It recommended that variants of the Covid pandemic be referred to using the letters of the Greek alphabet, because they were “nonstigmatizing” and easy to pronounce.
There has been an unusually high incidence of the mpox virus, a member in the same family as smallpox, this year. It is commonly found in countries other than central and western Africa.
The WHO declared a global emergency in July due to the increase in cases of symptoms such as a high fever, skin lesions, or rash, and declared it a health emergency .
Although the number of cases has been decreasing for some time, more than 100 countries were affected by the disease in 2022. This has prompted a huge demand for vaccines to protect those most vulnerable.
This year, the United States, Brazil, Spain and France have reported the most mpox cases. The virus has caused 50 deaths worldwide.
The UK has reported over 3,500 cases since May. However, a rollout vaccines for vulnerable groups helped to lower the numbers after a July peak.
The majority of those affected were men who had sex with other men.
