Sumaya Hatungimana, 12, shows the marks on her hands after recovering from Mpox, outside her house in Kinama zone, in Bujumbura, Burundi, on August 28, 2024
| Photo Credit: Reuters

The World Health Organization (WHO) said on Thursday, August 29, 2024, it urges rapid access to diagnostic tests for mpox and is calling on manufacturers to submit their products for emergency review.

The agency is seeking submissions for Emergency Use Listing from manufacturers. Through this procedure, WHO can approve medical products such as vaccines, tests and treatments for emergency use.

WHO declared mpox a global public health emergency for the second time in two years, following an outbreak of the viral infection in Democratic Republic of Congo that has spread to neighboring countries.

With as many as 1,000 suspected cases reported in the Congo alone this week, the need for diagnostic tests has surged dramatically, WHO said.

Manufacturers of in vitro diagnostics have been asked to provide available data on the quality, safety and performance of the tests to the WHO as soon as possible.