The Problem: The livestock sector is vital to Vietnam's rural livelihoods, food security, and agricultural productivity. Smallholder farmers, however, face persistent animal health challenges, including recurrent disease outbreaks, limited access to veterinary services, and weak surveillance systems, which are exacerbated by delayed information flows that hinder outbreak response. To address these gaps, the ICT4Health project developed FarmVetCare, a mobile application, which enables farmers to report symptoms, receive early warnings, schedule vaccinations, maintain health records, and access professional guidance for improved farm management. 

The solution/ Innovation: FarmVetCare is a mobile application offering smallholder farmers free veterinary advisory services, disease alerts, and livestock care guidelines through a user-friendly interface with the support from the local vet and automatically responding AI to user questions. It serves as a digital platform for animal health record-keeping and rapid access to professional consultation. By facilitating direct interaction among farmers, veterinary staff, and regulatory authorities, the app strengthens information flow, improves early reporting of animal health issues, and enhances coordinated responses to disease threats, thus addressing critical gaps in veterinary access and surveillance for rural livestock keepers.  

Key results/ Impacts: To date under pilot stage, over 1,000 users, including 969 farmers and 36 local veterinarians trained in farm biosecurity and using app, have engaged with the system. App users demonstrate improved capacity for early disease detection and timely response. The app-based reporting enhances early case identification and targeted diagnostic follow up, supporting more effective herd management and local disease control efforts. Increasing uptake of the application has the potential to deliver wide range of benefits, including improved animal health, reduced production costs, enhanced household income, and positive environmental and institutional impacts. 

Scalability and regional relevance: Overall, equipping farmers and local veterinarians with digital tools, combined with training and field interventions, shows strong potential for reducing zoonotic and infectious disease risks in Vietnam’s pig production systems. Given its low cost, ease of implementation, and adaptability, the FarmVetCare app is well positioned for scaling to other provinces and livestock systems.