Aug 29 (Reuters) - The World Health Organization on

Thursday sought to speed up the access to diagnostic tests for

mpox by asking manufacturers to submit their products for an

emergency review.

The agency has been in discussions with manufacturers about

the need for effective diagnostics, particularly in low-income

groups.

To expand access to diagnostic services urgently, the WHO

has called for submissions from manufacturers for Emergency Use

Listing that would allow it to approve medical products such as

vaccines, tests and treatments.

The process aims to assist countries to procure the

critically needed products such as tests through UN agencies and

other partners.

A new form of the virus has triggered global concern as it

seems to spread easily though routine close contact, prompting

the health agency to declare mpox a global public health

emergency earlier this month.

Sweden and Thailand have confirmed cases of the clade Ib

type of the virus, outside of the Democratic Republic of Congo

and 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, the agency said.

In the coming weeks, it will deliver another 30,000 tests to

African countries.

The WHO has also updated its diagnostic testing guidance to

detect the new virus strain and is working with counties to roll

it out.

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.

Earlier this week, diagnostics firm Labcorp ( LH ) said it

is working with U.S. health regulators to determine if it needed

to ramp up its mpox testing capacity.

Swiss drugmaker Roche is actively working to enhance

laboratory testing capacity for mpox worldwide.

(Reporting by Sriparna Roy in Bengaluru; Editing by Mohammed

Safi Shamsi and Arun Koyyur)