Ghana has officially launched the Events Mobile Application Plus (EMAi+), a cutting-edge digital tool designed to strengthen the country’s animal disease surveillance, reporting, and early warning systems.

The national launch event in Accra brought together key stakeholders, including the Minister for Food and Agriculture, Eric Opoku, and the Country Representative for the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), Ms. Priya Gujadhur.

Mr. Opoku described the launch as a significant milestone for Ghana’s agricultural sector. 

He emphasised that robust animal disease surveillance was critical to preventing, detecting, and responding to emerging diseases that threaten public health, food security, and livelihoods.

“The health and well-being of our animals are directly linked to food security, public health, and the national economy. It is, therefore, imperative that we equip ourselves with modern tools to detect, respond to, and recover swiftly from these threats,” he said.

The EMA-i+, developed by FAO, offers a user-friendly platform that enables veterinary officers, community animal health workers, and other stakeholders to report animal health events in real time.

The system improves data accuracy, reporting speed, and information sharing among key institutions, ensuring timely responses to outbreaks.

The enhanced EMAi+ application will now cover terrestrial animals, aquatic animals, bees, and wildlife diseases, involving a multi-sectoral One Health approach that includes the Ministry of Fisheries and Aquaculture Development and the Wildlife Division.

Mr. Opoku revealed that Ghana began piloting the application in 2018 with FAO support in 20 districts, which led to a threefold increase in disease outbreak reporting. 

The system has since been scaled up, enabling practitioners from various agencies to report outbreaks like Anthrax, Rabies, and Avian Influenza.

“Between January 2024 and April 2025, 68 weekly animal health bulletins were generated, significantly enhancing decision-making and coordination,” he said. 

Mr. Opoku acknowledged challenges such as internet connectivity but affirmed the Ministry’s commitment to mobilising resources for the sustainability of the system.

 He called on all stakeholders to fully embrace the application to make it a cornerstone of Ghana’s national animal health strategy.

Ms. Priya Gujadhur of the FAO highlighted the transformative impact of the EMAi+, noting that it had cut down disease reporting time from two to three months under the paper-based system to about 30 minutes.

“Every minute and every day that we delay in taking action against outbreaks means animals die. Animals dying is income lost and the livelihoods that are affected. And in the worst case, human lives are being affected or lost,” she said.

She commended Ghana for being at the forefront of piloting the application, which is now used in 16 countries.