Starting in the Bwindi Impenetrable National Park in southwestern Uganda, Gladys is linking national conservation, public health institutions, as well as communities to create fresh institutions and resources that improve both animal and human health.Gladys has set up a wildlife health monitoring… Read more
Starting in the Bwindi Impenetrable National Park in southwestern Uganda, Gladys is linking national conservation, public health institutions, as well as communities to create fresh institutions and resources that improve both animal and human health.Gladys has set up a wildlife health monitoring infrastructure that monitors disease trends among the gorilla population and links animal health with human health. A human public health system compares disease trends in humans to those in the gorilla population and rallies the community as observers of disease treatments. Finally, an information and education campaign keeps the momentum of the human and animal health program by constantly raising awareness on the link between public health, conservation, ecotourism, livelihoods and the economic value of wildlife.Because the mountain gorilla is endangered and any disease outbreak will have catastrophic consequences on the remaining population, Gladys begins by keeping track of the disease trends in the gorilla population to capture patterns and act swiftly on diseases before an outbreak.
She has partnered with the UWA which has the national mandate to run conservation programs and manage the national park, to run the program. Park rangers and gorilla trackers from the UWA collect mountain gorilla fecal samples from the interior of the forest and pass them onto Gladys’ staff for analysis. The analysis is carried out at a field clinic. The clinic is equipped with microscopes, test tubes, and other equipment to acquire accurate study results. She has recruited a locally based laboratory technician who carries out the analyses and runs the facility. Since July 2005, Conservation Through Public Health (CTPH) has analyzed over 2000 fecal samples. The results of the laboratory tests provide information that directs action programs and shapes policy on conservation in the short and long term respectively. The results are also shared with public health officials to guide interventions in human health. The wildlife health monitoring program involves health checks and treatments on sick wildlife and postmortems on dead wildlife. To effectively address zoonotic disease transmission, an equally intensive analysis of health trends among humans is required. Gladys has brought together public health officials, private health practitioners, UWA officials and the community to monitor and treat diseases.
By comparing disease trends from the animal health program to human health trends, the human public health program ensures that no diseases are transmitted between humans, mountain gorillas, and other wildlife. Using data from the animal health program, CTPH collaborates with public health officials to closely monitor disease trends in human populations and treat them swiftly before they spread. Disease trends in human populations provide an early warning system for possible outbreaks in the animal populations. This information is shared with UWA to plan interventions for the animal health program. First concentrating on tuberculosis, a big threat to the mountain gorilla, Gladys has adopted the Community Based Direct Observation of Treatments (CBDOTS) program. CBDOTS was invented by a community-based doctor to improve effectiveness of tuberculosis treatments in communities. The program searches for TB patients and puts them on TB treatment. It also involves volunteer community members—usually an immediate neighbor—rather than doctors, following up on patients to ensure that treatments are followed correctly and fully. Since CTPH’s expertise is in conservation, Gladys engages community health centers in the area to execute the program. So far CTPH has put 36 people on the CBDOTS program. Gladys’ information and education program raises awareness about the link between human health and wildlife health and the economic value of wildlife. CTPH targets local volunteer drama groups working to promote either conservation or public health.
The groups create drama shows with messages that show the link between human health and gorilla health, modeled around brochures Gladys produced as a UWA veterinary officer. The shows, performed at public gatherings, attract a cross section of the population— children and adults alike—sending out the message in an entertaining manner. Gladys invites public health officers, veterinary officers, and UWA officials to utilize the forum to educate the public about the interrelated nature of animal and public health. To reach a national and regional audience, CTPH films the drama shows and adds subtitles in various languages. Since the beginning of the program in February 2005, CTPH’s message has reached over 5,000 people. CTPH also puts up health message signposts around Bwindi sending the same message—the link between human and gorilla health. Since October 2005, CTPH has erected five signposts and plans another 56 signposts requested by the community.
Read less