In 2022, the world axed a disease name seen as racist. US just switched back.

Switching names

In November 2022, the WHO decided to change the name. The United Nations health agency noted that it had received reports from individuals and countries about the “racist and stigmatizing language online, in other settings, and in some communities.” The WHO decided to switch to the name “mpox” with a one-year grace period.

The agency also clarified its authority to make such a change, saying: “Assigning names to new and, very exceptionally, to existing diseases is…