FAO expands capacity for animal disease surveillance and reporting in Iraq with EMA-i and EMPRES-i+ platforms

The two ToT workshops were conducted under the project entitled "Strengthening Iraq Veterinary Legislation and Expanding Delivery of Animal Health Services and Disease Surveillance," funded by the (DTRA), which aimed to enhance Iraq’s veterinary and disease surveillance systems. The workshops accommodated 65 veterinary professionals. The first workshop, held from 7-10 October 2024, involved 33 participants from six governorates: Erbil, Sulaymaniyah, Kirkuk, Diyala, Salahuddin, and Baghdad. The second workshop, held from 12-15 October 2024, hosted 32 participants from six additional governorates: Babel, Al-Najaf, Karbala, Thi-Qar, Messan, and Al-Diwaniya.

The training covered EMA-i+ for real-time disease event reporting on farms and EMPRES-i+ for national-level data management and analysis. Participants engaged in practical, hands-on sessions, including the installation and configuration of these applications on smartphones and laptops to create, send, review, accept, and validate disease reports. These tools allowed veterinary professionals to enhance the quality and quantity of animal disease reporting, facilitating quicker decision-making and improving response times to outbreaks.

The participants, consisting of hospital and dispensary veterinarians, epidemiology and laboratory specialists from both central and governorate levels, represented various organizations such as the MoA, MoAWR-KRG, the Ministry of Health (both Federal and KRG), and Veterinary Syndicates.

“This training marked a significant step in enhancing Iraq’s early warning systems for animal diseases. By utilizing EMA-i and EMPRES-i+, Iraq’s veterinary services became better equipped to monitor disease outbreaks, safeguard livestock, support the One Health approach, and protect food security,” emphasized Dr. Salah ElHajj Hassan, FAO Representative in Iraq. He added, “The real impact lies in the practical implementation and consistent follow-up of these applications in the field. Ensuring that veterinary professionals apply these tools effectively will greatly improve Iraq’s ability to respond quickly and efficiently to disease outbreaks.”