Finnish authorities rename monkeypox to m-rokko to combat stigma

The Finnish Ministry of Social Affairs and Health, along with the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare, has announced that monkeypox will henceforth be referred to as m-rokko. This decision stems from the stigmatizing and racist connotations associated with the term monkeypox. The new name is derived from the disease’s English designation, mpox, while the Swedish-speaking Finnish population will refer to it as m-koppor.

The World Health Organization (WHO) had already recommended changing the English name of monkeypox to mpox back in late 2022 due to the stigma surrounding the original name. The move aims to reduce the negative perceptions and associations that have emerged around the disease, making it more acceptable in public discourse.