The World Health Organization (WHO) has approved the first diagnostic test for mpox, where results can be known immediately, saying it could prove crucial in halting the rise in cases of the deadly virus worldwide.

As BBC News reports, the new PCR test allows the detection of mpox DNA obtained from smears of skin lesions.

Currently, samples have to be sent to a lab for testing and the patient and doctors have to wait days for the result.

Limited testing capacity and delays in confirming cases remain a challenge in Africa – exacerbating the spread of mpox, formerly known as monkeypox.

Of the more than 30,000 suspected cases reported in Africa this year, just 40 percent had been confirmed through testing, the WHO said.
Yukiko Nakatani, assistant director-general of the WHO, called the new diagnostic test an “important milestone”.

“Increasing access to quality-assured medical products is central to our efforts to help countries limit the spread of the virus and protect their people, especially in underserved areas,” he added.

The achievement comes as the Democratic Republic of Congo, where the largest number of cases have been reported, prepares to launch an mpox vaccination program on Saturday.

Mpox, which is a highly contagious disease, has killed at least 635 people in this country this year.