Remember monkeypox? Last year, people around the world were concerned that it would become as prevalent as Covid-19.
Thankfully, this hasn’t happened, with just two such cases in Singapore over the last four months.
Source: NTV Kenya on Facebook
Moving forward, Singapore will call the disease “mpox” instead.
In a Facebook post on Monday (13 Feb), Health Minister Ong Ye Kung said the global mpox situation has “stabilised considerably”.
Source: Ong Ye Kung on Facebook
In Singapore, there have also been fewer cases than before.
Only two people have come down with the disease in the last four months, he added.
Singapore confirmed our first case of mpox in June 2022, though it was an imported case. Our first local case of mpox subsequently emerged in July.
According to MOH’s latest weekly infectious diseases bulletin which was updated up till 4 Feb, two cases of mpox were detected in 2023.
Both of them were recorded in epidemiological week 1 (1-7 Jan).
Source: MOH
Last year, 19 cases of mpox were reported in total, with the final three cases uncovered on 15 Sep.
After that, Singapore had zero cases of the disease for the next 3.5 months.
That means we’ve had a total of 21 cases since the outbreak began.
Mr Ong also announced that the disease would be called “mpox” by Singapore from now onwards.
This will be reflected in the legislation under MOH, as well as all of the ministry’s communications.
Source: Ong Ye Kung on Facebook
The change of name is in accordance with a recommendation by the World Health Organisation (WHO).
In November 2022, the WHO said in a news release that “racist and stigmatising language” was being used as the mpox outbreak worsened.
This occurred online as well as in other settings, they added.
That July, the WHO declared the disease to be a global health emergency — its highest alarm.
Following concerns raised by individuals and countries over the name, the WHO recommended “mpox” as the preferred term to refer to the disease.
They encouraged others to follow the recommendations to “minimise any ongoing negative impact”.
After more than two months, Singapore has followed suit.
Though the situation has improved, Mr Ong warned Singaporeans to stay vigilant.
We should do what we did during the Covid-19 pandemic — monitor our health and avoid contact with others when unwell.
Hopefully, the disease will recede further into the background soon, so we won’t have to bother about what to call it anyway.
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Featured image adapted from NTV Kenya on Facebook.
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