Naming diseases after places causes serious problems

Source: The post Naming diseases after places causes serious problems has been created, based on the article “What’s in a (disease’s) name?” published in “The Hindu” on 12th March 2025. Naming diseases after places causes serious problems

UPSC Syllabus Topic: GS Paper2- Governance-Issues relating to development and management of Social Sector/Services relating to Health

Context: The article explains how naming diseases after places causes misinformation and stigma. The WHO opposes this practice and promotes scientific names. It discusses past and recent cases, including Trichophyton indotineae. The article urges global cooperation in disease prevention without stereotypes.

Why is naming diseases after places problematic?

1. Naming diseases after places leads to misinformation; for example, the “Spanish flu” did not originate in Spain, but Spain’s neutral status in World War I meant it reported the flu when others did not.
2. This practice can cause stigma and harm to regions unfairly blamed for diseases. The recent objection to the name “Trichophyton indotineae” highlights this, as the fungus was named after India and Nepal despite its presence in over 40 countries.
3. Misnaming undermines scientific accuracy and can politicize public health, distracting from the essential focus on prevention and treatment.

What steps has the WHO taken to stop this practice?

1. Guidelines (2015): The WHO directed scientists to avoid geographic names and use scientific characteristics instead.
2. Renaming Zika-related disease (2016): Doctors renamed the fetal disease caused by the Zika virus as congenital Zika syndrome to reflect its broader effects beyond microcephaly.
3. Renaming Monkeypox (2022): The WHO replaced “monkeypox” with mpox to prevent racist and stigmatizing language.
4. Historical Corrections: The WHO renamed Reiter’s Syndrome to reactive arthritis after discovering the physician’s Nazi links.
5. International Naming Rules: The WHO follows strict naming guidelines to avoid misinformation and discrimination.

What should scientists and the WHO focus on?

1. Scientists and the WHO should focus on finding causes of diseases and better treatments.
2. The COVID-19 pandemic showed that diseases affect everyone globally.
3. Stereotypes divide people, but microbes do not follow borders. The world needs cooperation, not blame.

Question for practice:

Discuss why naming diseases after places is problematic and how the WHO has addressed this issue.