The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) has approved the continent’s first locally produced diagnostic test for mpox, a critical step toward controlling outbreaks of the lethal virus across Africa.
Africa has faced a significant challenge in testing for mpox, a disease that has claimed over 1,000 lives on the continent this year. Improved surveillance and expanded testing are seen as crucial measures to curb the virus’s spread. The new diagnostic tool, a real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test developed by Moldiag—a Rabat-based Moroccan company—has received endorsement from Africa CDC’s diagnostic advisory committee, an independent panel of 15 African experts.
Africa CDC highlighted the test’s reliability and efficacy, noting that this breakthrough could strengthen Morocco’s involvement in global health efforts.
“This milestone aligns with the African Union’s aim to boost the self-sufficiency of African public health systems,” said Jean Kaseya, Africa CDC’s Director-General.
In August, Africa CDC declared mpox a continent-wide public health emergency, and the World Health Organization (WHO) followed with an international health emergency declaration. Despite being the only region where the disease is endemic, Africa did not receive vaccines in 2022 as a less virulent strain of the virus spread globally. This shortage mirrored the vaccine access issues faced during the COVID-19 pandemic and underscored Africa CDC’s call for locally produced vaccines, diagnostics, and treatments to strengthen the continent’s health security.
Current mpox testing rates are low; fewer than half of suspected cases have been confirmed even as case numbers have surged almost fivefold compared to the previous year. Africa CDC and the WHO are working to increase testing capacity by enhancing transport to centralized laboratories and enabling on-site diagnosis by trained local personnel. The introduction of high-quality rapid tests could further improve diagnostic rates, particularly in remote regions.
While the WHO has authorized three PCR kits for emergency use, the Moroccan-made test is not yet among them. However, Africa CDC has encouraged member states to adopt diagnostic tools on its own recommended list, even if WHO approval is pending, according to Africa CDC spokeswoman Margaret Muigai Edwin.
