The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and the National Animal Disease Diagnostic and Epidemiology Centre (NADDEC) of the Ministry of agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries (MAAIF) launched an Event Mobile Application (EMA) for livestock disease surveillance in Karamoja Region.

EMA is a web based real-time technology that uses smartphone for making instant reporting on livestock disease. The technology will support the strengthening of early warning and disease surveillance capabilities and improve reporting and response to disease outbreaks in the Karamoja Region, which remains a 'hotbed of trans-boundary animal diseases'.

Dr. Orongo Walter, District Veterinary Officer, Moroto, while speaking at the launch, challenged veterinarians in Karamoja Region to make best use of EMA, and cautioned them not to replace the conventional reporting system. He further emphasized that the success of EMA is premised on sound veterinary diagnostic skills of the users.

The Karamoja Region veterinary fraternity, political and administrative stakeholders and MAAIF applauded FAO for yet another big stride in timely response and management of livestock diseases, which will make disease reporting easier. 

Dr. Doris Kiconco represented the Directorate of Animal Resources and received Mobile Smartphones connected to the internet, power banks, among other things, and hailed FAO for the continued support in responding to animal health in Karamoja Region.

Dr Kiconco called on veterinarians in Karamoja Region to make best use of the real-time disease reporting technology to enhance the country's reporting portfolio. She cautioned the users, saying that MAAIF will work with its network of veterinary doctors in the region to ensure compliance. Dr. Edward Okori, FAO National Livestock Programme Officer, who represented the FAO Country representative at the event, said that the enhanced disease reporting using high tech is a milestone in livestock disease control in the region, and the whole country in general.

He further appreciated the assistance of the Government of the United Kingdom for providing the funds and added that FAO will continue to support the Government of Uganda in animal disease surveillance and control. The EMA reporting system comes as a response to the Government's request after the successful pilot phase of EMA in ten districts of Uganda under Irish Government funding in 2013 and 2014.

"After the successful implementation of EMA-i in 2013 -2014, the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries recommended EMA-i to be the reporting system of choice for the whole country. We are happy to have responded to this call, "said Dr. Okori.
"FAO recognizes that surveillance is a very important epidemiological process, and it can be important in the management of Transboundary Animal Diseases (TADs), and emerging and re-emerging diseases that are of great economic and public health importance. However, it can only be meaningful if it is proactive and closely associated with early detection that triggers rapid response to disease outbreaks," said Dr. Okori.

About 100 smartphones with accompanying devices were handed over to the local government leaders of the seven districts of Karamoja Region - Abim, Amudat, Kaabong, Kotido, Moroto, Napak and Nakapiripiriti.

The launch/inception was followed by two-day training by EMA experts from NADDEC: Dr. Joseph Sserugga, Dr. Robert Mwebe and Ms. Gladys Kiggundu.