Africa CDC endorses first locally made mpox test

The African Union’s health watchdog said Thursday it has endorsed an mpox test from Morocco, hailing it as a “major milestone” to help combat the outbreak on the continent.

The announcement comes three months after the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) declared the mpox outbreak a public health emergency.

The CDC said in a statement posted on X on Thursday that it has recommended what it described as the first locally produced real-time PCR test for mpox from Morocco.

It said the test quickly detects pathogen DNA in blood, saliva or tissue, and that the CDC approval underscored its “reliability and efficacy”.

“This major milestone is in line with the African Union’s continental effort to strengthen the self-sufficiency of African public health systems towards enhancing the continent’s efficiency in preparedness and response to disease threats.”