Conservation Through Public Health

Bwindi National Park, Uganda

One of Population Connection’s first partners was Conservation Through Public Health (CTPH). Based in Uganda, CTPH is an award-winning leader in gorilla and wildlife conservation. The organization’s mission is to promote biodiversity conservation by enabling people, gorillas and other wildlife to coexist through improved health and livelihoods in and around Africa’s protected areas.

Wildlife veterinarian and CTPH founder and CEO Dr. Gladys Kalema-Zikusoka (also known as “Dr. Gladys”) started CTPH in 2003 to prevent the transmission of disease between people, livestock, and endangered mountain gorillas. CTPH also works to reduce people’s dependence on protected lands and the wildlife that reside there, improving their health and well-being in the process.

CTPH is a pioneer in the Population, Health, and Environment (PHE) development approach (also known as “One Health”), which recognizes the crucial relationships between people’s health and the environment. This community-based approach seeks to improve access to family planning and reproductive health care to help conserve wildlife and natural resources within communities living in areas with high biodiversity.

With support from Population Connection and other partners, CTPH monitors 27 mountain gorilla groups in Bwindi and Mgahinga Conservation Area, and delivers a community-led PHE model reaching over 40,000 people in 700 homes within six high human and gorilla conflict parishes around Bwindi Impenetrable National Park.

Here are a few 2024 highlights:

Empowering Communities Through Health Initiatives

54,000 individuals across 10,600 households were sensitized on health and conservation under the One Health Model Household approach, increasing compliance from 22% in 2022 to 59% in 2024.
Family planning uptake increased from 42% in 2022 to 51% in 2024, benefiting over 5,400 households.

Women in Conservation

Introduced female Gorilla Guardians for the first time in 25 years, challenging gender stereotypes and enhancing conservation efforts.

We are excited to have women gorilla guardians for the first
time in the history of HUGOs being established 25 years ago! beginning with three? previously thought of as “men’s work” by the men who said that “Women faint when they see a Gorilla” This is a huge step towards changing perceptions of conservation, wildlife stewardship and gender stereotypes, all things we are working to address.

Active Participation in Conservation

One of the 2024 “Ready to Grow” CTPH project beneficiaries in her beans garden in a frontline parishneighboring Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, Kanungu district, Southwestern Uganda. — One of the 2024 “Ready to Grow” CTPH project beneficiaries in her beans garden in a frontline parish
neighboring Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, Kanungu district, Southwestern Uganda

1,500 households benefited from the “Ready to Grow” garden project, improving food security and reducing pressure on natural resources.
2,223 youth participated in conservation-focused STEAM education, enhancing their leadership and environmental awareness.

This improved food security and community members are more motivated and have enough time and capacity to embrace and participate in the Model households program translating into reduced poaching incidences and other illegal entries that put pressure on natural resources and threaten survival of wildlife.

CTPH has four main goals:

1) Increase early detection of zoonotic disease outbreaks

2) Improve the health and well-being of communities surrounding gorilla habitats in Uganda and DRC

2) Enhance active community participation in conservation, and

4) Increase uptake of One Health approaches in environmentally important landscapes.

Activities include scientific monitoring of the health of mountain gorillas living near communities, distribution of family planning supplies and information on reproductive health, and training on infectious disease prevention and sustainable livelihoods, such as environmentally-friendly coffee farming.

Photo: Dr. Gladys at Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, © Jo Anne McArthur

Gallery

Daniel, a Tour Guide at CTPH

CTPH Gorilla Conservation Camp Sign

CTPH volunteer demonstrating how she gives Depo Provera shots

CTPH staff (Dr. Gladys is on the left, holding the sign) demonstrating their family planning education presentation

CTPH Gorilla Health Centre Sign

CTPH Monitoring & Evaluation Officer, Edwin Ainerukundo (L) with other NAPHENET members at the NAPHENET stall during World Population Day celebrations in Adjumani District

Infant mountain gorilla in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. Photo by Ryoma Otsuka

CTPH Lab technician noting down gorilla information on a specimen bottle before collecting fecal samples. Photo by Nick Penny

CTPH team monitoring Mubare Gorilla group in September 2020

Dr. Gladys analyzing gorilla fecal samples at the Gorilla Health and Community Conservation Center. Photo by JoAnne McArthur

CTPH Co-Founder and Chief Veterinary Technician, Stephen Rubanga, with students Vishaka and Fugina

Bwindi children, Lily and Martin

Dr. Gladys and the Uganda Wildlife Authority leading a team to conduct buffalo disease surveys at Queen Elizabeth National Park

Hope Matsiko preparing to give a Depoprovera injection at her home

Gorilla Guardians In Muramba Parish Bwindi Impenetrable National Park.

A local woman receiving a family planning method.

One of the 2024 “Ready to Grow” CTPH project beneficiaries in her beans garden in a frontline parish neighboring Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, Kanungu district, Southwestern Uganda

Meet Dr. Gladys

Picture of Dr. Gladys CTPH

Dr. Gladys Kalema-Zikusoka, founder and CEO of CONSERVATION THROUGH PUBLIC HEALTH

Dr. Gladys is a wildlife veterinarian and conservationist. After graduating from the University of London, she established the first veterinary department in the Uganda Wildlife Authority. She led a team that investigated the first scabies outbreak in mountain gorillas, which was traced back to the people living around Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. This led her to establish the non-profit Conservation Through Public Health (CTPH) in 2003, which promotes the coexistence of people, gorillas, and other wildlife through addressing human and wildlife health together and improving alternative livelihoods in communities sharing their habitats with gorillas.

Dr. Gladys has received several awards and accolades for her ground-breaking work. In 2023, she was recognized by the BBC as one of 100 inspiring and influential women from around the world.

Featured Presentations

Population, Reproductive Health, and Climate Resiliency: Views From Latin America and East Africa

2021 Digital Capitol Hill Days

Responding to COVID-19 through a One Health Approach to Gorilla Conservation

Summer Speaker Series

Learn more about CTPH in this Q&A!

Saving gorillas by improving community health and livelihoods: Q&A with CTPH

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. Their…