Toponymous Diseases and Their Issues
Diseases are often named after places, such as Spanish flu, Delhi boil, or West Nile Virus.
These names can cause misinformation, stigma, and racial prejudice, harming global health efforts.
For example, the Spanish flu didn’t originate in Spain, but it was named due to Spain’s neutral stance in World War I and its free press.
WHO’s Efforts to Rename Diseases
In 2015, the WHO mandated that diseases should be named based on scientific characteristics, not geography.
The Zika virus was renamed to "congenital Zika syndrome" to focus on its effects rather than its geographic origin.
WHO also started using "mpox" instead of "monkeypox" to avoid racial stigmatization.
Ongoing Problems with Disease Naming
Despite efforts, inappropriate naming continues, such as the fungus Trichophyton indotineae, named after India and Nepal, despite its unclear origin.
Experts argue that naming diseases based on regions causes prejudice and violates WHO guidelines on naming conventions.
Naming diseases based on regions or people does not aid in treatment or research, and can fuel discrimination.
WHO’s Role and the Need for Sensitivity
The WHO oversees naming diseases to avoid stigma and follows a consultative process with member states.
Historical examples, like renaming Reiter’s Syndrome to reactive arthritis, show the importance of renaming to avoid problematic associations.
The global focus should be on scientific research and precise language to prevent stigma and encourage unity in fighting diseases.
Moving Forward
The global community must unite in addressing disease outbreaks, as the COVID-19 pandemic showed how interconnected we are.
Sensitivity in language and avoiding geographical or racial stereotypes are essential for global health cooperation.
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