play_arrow

keyboard_arrow_right

Listeners:

Top listeners:

skip_previous skip_next
00:00 00:00
playlist_play chevron_left
volume_up
Go to album
  • cover play_arrow

    LISTEN NOW: JafriQ Radio Live On Jafriq Radio

Africa

Africa: WHO Approves First Mpox Diagnostic Test for Emergency Use

todayOctober 7, 2024 1

Background
share close

[ad_1]

The World Health Organization (WHO) announced on Friday that it has approved the first mpox diagnostic test for emergency use, which will boost diagnostic capacity in countries facing outbreaks of the disease.

The Alinity m MPXV assay is a real-time PCR (polymerase chain reaction) test that enables detection of monkeypox virus DNA from human skin lesion swabs.

It is manufactured by Abbott Molecular Inc, an American company, and specifically designed for use by trained clinical laboratory personnel.

‘A significant milestone’

“This first mpox diagnostic test listed under the Emergency Use Listing procedure represents a significant milestone in expanding testing availability in affected countries,” said Dr. Yukiko Nakatani, WHO Assistant Director-General for Access to Medicines and Health Products.

Detection of viral DNA by PCR testing is the gold standard for mpox diagnosis.

WHO said early diagnosis is critical as it enables timely treatment and care, as well as control of the virus.

Limited testing capacity and delays in confirming mpox cases persist in Africa, contributing to the continued spread of the virus.

Over 30,000 suspected cases have been reported on the continent this year, with the highest numbers in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Burundi, and Nigeria. Furthermore, only 37 per cent of suspected cases in DRC have been tested.

Global health emergency