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The EMPRES-i Event Mobile Application (EMA) allows national veterinary authorities to report disease outbreaks using smartphones. It also allows district veterinary officers to access disease reports submitted by their colleagues. The application was pilot tested in 10 districts selected by the National Animal Disease Diagnostic and Epidemiology Centre (NADDEC) in Uganda in the second half of 2013. National authorities and district veterinary officers who participated in the pilot stressed the usefulness of animal disease surveillance and urged its expansion to all districts of the country. FAO encourages other countries to test and use the application to improve disease reporting in the field.
Rapid response is key to effective disease control
Between July and December last year, FAO assisted Ugandan veterinary authorities in implementing the EMPRES-i campaign mobile application. The web-based application is currently available for Blackberry devices and Android-based phones. Previously, one of the biggest challenges faced by Ugandan veterinary authorities in monitoring and controlling animal diseases was timely reporting of data. There is a time lag between the discovery of an infected animal and the arrival of critical data in the laboratory. This creates a considerable obstacle to the process, as the effectiveness of disease control depends heavily on the speed of response. EMA is allowing veterinary technicians to enter critical epidemiological data into a global database directly from the field using their smartphones.
For example, when field veterinary technicians examine infected animals, they use the app to enter epidemiological data, including photos of the animals in question. This data is automatically geolocated and collected in a report that is then sent to the Global Animal Disease Information System (EMPRES-i). Once the report is received, the data is verified and confirmed and, depending on the case, posted on the EMPRES-i public website or saved in an internal database.
The app also allows users to directly access the database. It offers a map feature called “Near Me” that generates data on disease outbreaks in surrounding areas.
Part of the reason these apps are successful is that they are designed specifically for the difficulties developing countries face in transmitting and storing data. While Internet coverage is limited in these areas, phone network signals and coverage are widespread. In addition, even if users temporarily lose phone signal, data can be stored on the device for later transmission.
FAO is working with the Ugandan government to roll out the app in the country‘Veterinary system
EMA is the latest in FAO’s efforts to expand the use of mobile communications devices to improve disease control. Previously, FAO has used text messaging and digital pen technology to deliver information during its avian flu field projects, so smartphone technology was a natural next step.
On 25 January 2013, a workshop for the Uganda National Veterinary Services was held in Entebbe. FAO animal health experts and Ugandan authorities discussed animal information systems at the national level, as well as the use of mobile devices to improve disease reporting and information collection. With both factors in mind, they agreed to implement a pilot activity for EMA.
FAO’s goal is to facilitate the exchange of disease information between farmers, the National Centre for Animal Disease Diagnostic and Epidemiology, the ten regional veterinary officers and the Chief Veterinary Officer.
The organization provided smartphones to the chief veterinarian, the center’s epidemiologist and district veterinarian, and provided the center with two computers and backup power. During a five-day training course, all personnel learned how to install and use the app, as well as how to implement standard procedures for reporting and verifying diseases.
Participants expressed support for expanding the use of EMA to all districts in Uganda.
“I see this as an opportunity to control or even eliminate certain diseases,” said Dr. Nicholas Kauta, Uganda’s chief veterinary officer.
The success of the pilot has greatly increased enthusiasm for the app, and FAO is encouraging other countries to trial this new tool.
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