Ghana has officially launched the Events Mobile Application Plus (EMA-i+), a digital platform designed to enhance animal disease surveillance, reporting, and early warning systems across the country.

The national launch in Accra brought together key stakeholders, including the Minister of Food and Agriculture, Eric Opoku, and the Food and Agriculture Organization’s (FAO) Country Representative, Priya Gujadhur.

Mr. Opoku described the initiative as a milestone for Ghana’s agricultural sector, stressing the critical role of animal health in safeguarding food security, public health, and the economy.

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

Developed by the FAO, EMA-i+ provides 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, speeds up reporting, and enhances information sharing to ensure timely outbreak responses.

The upgraded version of the app now covers terrestrial animals, aquatic species, bees, and wildlife, reflecting a One Health approach involving the Ministry of Fisheries and Aquaculture Development and the Wildlife Division.

Ghana began piloting EMA-i+ in 2018 across 20 districts with FAO support, which led to a threefold increase in reported outbreaks. Since then, the platform has been scaled up nationwide, helping detect and manage diseases such as anthrax, rabies, and avian influenza. Between January 2024 and April 2025 alone, 68 weekly animal health bulletins were generated to guide decision-making.

While acknowledging challenges such as limited internet connectivity, Mr. Opoku reaffirmed government’s commitment to mobilizing resources to sustain the system and urged all stakeholders to adopt it fully.

Ms. Gujadhur praised Ghana for its leadership in piloting EMA-i+, noting that it had reduced disease reporting times dramatically — from two to three months under the paper-based system to just 30 minutes.

“Every minute we delay means animals die, incomes are lost, livelihoods are affected, and in the worst case, human lives are at risk,” she said.

She commended Ghana for being at the forefront of a tool that is now being used in 16 countries worldwide.