The journey of the Early Warning System for Mosquito-Borne Diseases (EYWA) was presented during the WOAH Regional Seminar on "Vector-Borne Diseases in the European Region," held from 25 to 27 June 2025 in Teramo, Italy.
The event was jointly organized by the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH), the Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale dell’Abruzzo e del Molise “G. Caporale” (IZS Teramo), and supported by the European Commission's Directorate-General for Health and Food Safety (DG SANTE). It provided a critical platform for discussing the challenges and developments related to vector-borne diseases (VBDs) across Europe and neighboring regions.
Dr. Tamaš Petrović of the Scientific Veterinary Institute "Novi Sad" in Serbia presented the country’s evolving surveillance strategy in his talk, “West Nile Virus (WNV) Surveillance Program in Serbia: Changes in the Methodology Over Time.” His presentation featured EYWA and its application in Serbia, bringing it to the attention of key stakeholders, including national Chief Veterinary Officers (CVOs), WOAH delegates, representatives from the European Commission (DG SANTE), the European Space Agency (ESA), the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), the World Health Organization (WHO), and other experts from European reference centers.
EYWA, winner of the 1st EIC Horizon Prize on Early Warning for Epidemics, is an innovative system designed to predict and manage vector-borne diseases such as West Nile Virus and malaria. It provides tailored disease risk forecasts to several European countries—including Greece, Serbia, and Italy—using a range of advanced models like MAMOTH, BAd, BAr, and MIMESIS.
Beyond Europe, EYWA has delivered pilot predictions in Thailand, is operational in Ivory Coast, and is preparing for future implementation in Latin America. A recent milestone includes a new contract with Cameroon, where EYWA will support malaria monitoring using national health data. In parallel, the system is set to be integrated into the EU's Destination Earth (DestinE) platform through the CONOPS initiative, expanding its reach and capabilities.
EYWA exemplifies how science and technology can evolve from research to impactful, operational tools to enhance global health preparedness and resilience.
Learn more about EYWA: http://beyond-eocenter.eu/index.php/web-services/eywa
Photo Number 1 Source: https://www.izs.it/IZS/Home_Page/Care4Dairy-disponibile-una-App/In-Istituto-il-Seminario-Regionale-OMSA-per-la-regione-Europea-sulle-Malattie-Trasmesse-da-Vettori-VBD