HARARE - Leaders of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) on Saturday urged the regional bloc's secretariat to convene an urgent meeting of health ministers to assess the impact of mpox in the region.

The summit also urged member states to strengthen disease surveillance, diagnostic testing, clinical care, and infection prevention and control, SADC Executive Secretary Elias Magosi said when delivering a communique at the end of the 44th Ordinary SADC Summit of Heads of State and Government here in the Zimbabwean capital.

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"The summit directed the secretariat to convene an urgent meeting of health ministers to assess the impact of mpox and facilitate a coordinated regional response to control the spread of the disease," Magosi said.

He said the summit had noted the mpox situation on the continent and in the SADC region and the declaration by the World Health Organization (WHO) of mpox as a public health emergency of international concern.

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The summit extended solidarity and support to member states affected by mpox and further requested WHO, the African Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and partners to avail resources towards the mpox response in the region, Magosi added.