The Minister for Food and Agriculture, Hon. Eric Opoku, has formally launched the Enhanced Event Mobile Application (EMA-i+), a digital tool designed to improve Ghana’s ability to detect, monitor, and respond to animal disease outbreaks in real time.
Speaking at the launch, the Minister underscored the critical link between food security, public health, and the national economy, stressing that animal diseases “know no borders” and pose serious risks to both livestock and human lives.
“Genetic and infectious diseases threaten not only animals but also human livelihoods. It is therefore imperative that we equip ourselves with the tools to detect, respond to, and recover swiftly from such threats,” Hon. Eric said.
Ghana’s journey with the EMA-i began in 2018 with support from the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). The pilot, implemented in 20 districts, trained 30 officers and introduced smartphones to replace outdated, paper-based reporting systems. Since then, the initiative has been scaled up and institutionalized, enabling veterinary officers, the Fisheries Commission, the Wildlife Division, private sector actors, and community animal health workers to report outbreaks such as anthrax, rabies, peste des petits ruminants, zoonotic tuberculosis, and mange.
Between January 2024 and April 2025, the system generated 68 weekly animal health bulletins, significantly improving decision-making and coordination. More than 50 community animal health workers in the Upper East Region—70 percent of whom are women—have also been trained to support nationwide surveillance.
Building on these successes, the enhanced EMA-i+ now offers expanded capabilities, including real-time geo-referenced disease reporting, strengthened early warning and rapid response systems, and integrated surveillance across terrestrial, aquatic, wildlife, and public health sectors.
“These achievements have been made possible through the partnership of FAO, FHI 360, and the UK Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, as well as the dedication of our veterinary staff and community animal health workers,” the Minister noted.
While acknowledging challenges such as Internet connectivity, laboratory infrastructure, and limited access to user devices, Hon. Eric stressed that these were “real but not insurmountable.” He assured that the Ministry is committed to mobilizing resources and embedding EMA-i+ into Ghana’s broader environmental health strategies to ensure sustainability.
He emphasized that the application is “not just a digital tool—it is a symbol of Ghana’s strong commitment to animal health, public health, and farmer resilience.”
Calling on stakeholders including government institutions, academia, development partners, the private sector, and community organizations, the Minister urged full adoption and support for the system.
“It is now my singular honor, on behalf of the Government of Ghana and in collaboration with FAO and our partners, to formally launch the Enhanced Event Mobile Application for nationwide deployment,” he declared.
Source: metrotvonline.com
