Animal Management in Rural and Remote Indigenous Communities (AMRRIC) is collaborating with Indigenous community stakeholders across more than 20 communities in Northern Australia to improve Indigenous community animal health surveillance capacity, through the collection and reporting of community animal health and biosecurity data via the custom-designed AMRRIC App.

The animal health surveillance data captured through the app will be shared with biosecurity authorities, contributing to improvements in Australia’s animal biosecurity surveillance, and to animal health in remote Indigenous communities.

“Recent animal disease events including the outbreak of Ehrlichia canis, currently devastating dog populations in many remote communities across Northern Australia, and the threat of incursions of exotic diseases such as Rabies and Africa Swine Fever emphasise the urgent need for improved animal biosecurity data capture in remote Indigenous communities,” said AMRRIC Chief Executive Officer Dr Brooke Rankmore.

AMRRIC staff will partner with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Organisations to provide in-community training in the use of the app.

“Local staff from partner community organisations will be trained to administer animal anti-parasitic treatments alongside door-to-door data capture activities. While visiting each region to deliver annual data capture training, AMRRIC staff will also work alongside partner organisation staff to deliver biosecurity-focused educational activities to school and community groups,” said Dr Rankmore.

“The project will facilitate community member participation in biosecurity data capture and reporting, whilst also raising awareness about the importance of biosecurity.” Read more