We started working with the community members to improve their health, hygiene, sanitation, family planning access, and livelihood opportunities, whilst at the same time monitoring the health of the mountain gorillas to provide an early warning system for cases of illness, training community members to reduce human-wildlife conflict by safely herding wild animals back to the forest if they had strayed out, and providing support to community members to monitor and address the health of their livestock, including by de-worming regularly. It was clear that the health and well-being of the communities was intrinsically interconnected with the health and survival of the mountain gorillas, other wildlife and their habitat. The fatal disease, which resulted in the death of an infant gorilla and treatment of the rest of the group members, was traced to the local communities living around BINP who are amongst the most impoverished and marginalized communities in Uganda, with very limited livelihoods opportunities or social services. We had to deal with a scabies outbreak in the gorillas of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park (BINP) in 1996. I became very concerned about the transmission of zoonotic diseases between humans and wildlife after leading a team, whilst I was working as the first veterinary officer at the Uganda Wildlife Authority.

Gladys at Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. At the time, there were only an estimated 650 mountain gorillas left in the wild they were critically endangered. Stephen Rubanga, a veterinary technician, in 2003 because we were concerned about disease transmission from humans to the endangered mountain gorillas which are so closely related and, therefore, very susceptible to human diseases. What prompted you to start your organization? CTPH promotes biodiversity conservation by enabling people, gorillas and other wildlife to coexist through improving their health and livelihoods in and around Africa’s protected areas and wildlife rich habitats.

Gladys Kalema-Zikusoka, a Population Connection board member and Founder and CEO of Conservation Through Public Health (CTPH) in Uganda. Get to know our wonderful partners in this Q&A series! Here we talk to Dr. Their efforts make a vital difference in their local communities and represent the “final step” in our shared work to make the world a more just and sustainable place for everyone. Through our Global Partners program, Population Connection supports a growing number of grassroots organizations around the world working to increase access to education, public health and family planning services.

Conservation of gorillas