Gladys Kalema-Zikusoka facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Dr. Gladys Kalema-Zikusoka
Alma mater	Royal Veterinary College (Bachelor of Veterinary Medicine) North Carolina State University (Master of Veterinary Science) Duke University (Certificate in Non-Profit Management) Undisclosed University (MBA in Global Business and Sustainability)
Known for	Study of mountain gorillas, conservation
Awards	Whitley Awards (UK) (2009) EarthCare Award (US) (2018) UNEP Champions of the Earth (2021) Edinburgh Medal (UK) (2022)

Gladys Kalema-Zikusoka (born January 8, 1970) is a Ugandan veterinarian. She started an organization called Conservation Through Public Health. This group helps endangered mountain gorillas, other wildlife, people, and farm animals live together peacefully in Africa.

Dr. Kalema-Zikusoka was Uganda's first wildlife veterinarian. She was even featured in a BBC documentary called Gladys the African Vet. In 2009, she won the Whitley Gold Award for her important work. In December 2021, she was named a United Nations Environment Programme's Champion of the Earth for Science and Innovation. This award recognized her efforts with the One Health idea, which connects the health of people, animals, and the environment.

Early Life and Education

Gladys Kalema-Zikusoka grew up in Kampala, Uganda. She became interested in animals when she was 12 years old. She even started a wildlife club at her school! They took trips to places like Queen Elizabeth National Park to see animals.

She earned a scholarship to study at the University of London Royal Veterinary College. There, she got her degree in veterinary medicine. Later, in 2003, she earned a Master's degree in veterinary medicine from North Carolina State University. She also has a certificate in managing non-profit organizations from Duke University. In 2016, she earned another degree, a Master of Business Administration.

Personal Life

Gladys Kalema-Zikusoka is married to Lawrence Zikusoka. He is a technology expert and helped start Conservation Through Public Health. They have two children together.

Professional Accomplishments

In 1996, when Gladys was 25, she became the first veterinary officer for the Ugandan Wildlife Service. This group later joined with Uganda's national parks to become the Uganda Wildlife Authority. At that time, there were about 300 mountain gorillas in Bwindi. By 2018, their numbers grew to about 460. This was enough to change their status from "critically endangered" to "endangered."

Dr. Kalema-Zikusoka also helped move wild animals to new areas. This was done to restock Uganda's national parks after many animals were lost due to poaching during Uganda's civil wars.

As part of her research, she discovered that diseases could spread from humans to mountain gorillas. This was a big risk for the gorillas.

Conservation Through Public Health

After seeing how human diseases could harm or even kill gorillas, Gladys Kalema-Zikusoka, Lawrence Zikusoka, and Stephen Rubanga started Conservation Through Public Health (CTPH). This group works to improve the health of both people and the environment in Africa.

CTPH is a non-profit organization based in Uganda and the USA. They run programs that:

• Protect gorillas and other wildlife from diseases that come from humans and farm animals.
• Help reduce diseases in people and farm animals living near wildlife.
• Encourage local communities to use family planning.
• Use technology to help local development and teach people about the environment.

Dr. Kalema-Zikusoka is the CEO of CTPH.

CTPH was founded in 2003. In 2015, they started a program called Gorilla Conservation Coffee. This program helps local communities earn more money by selling their Arabica coffee at international prices. When people have more income, they are healthier, and fewer diseases are passed to the gorillas. Also, farmers get a small fee when tourists walk through their gardens on gorilla treks.

Awards and Recognitions

Dr. Kalema-Zikusoka has received many awards for her work to protect the environment and help people.

• In 2009, she won the Whitley Gold Award. This is a very important prize, sometimes called the "Green Oscars."
• In 2008, the San Diego Zoo gave her its Conservation-in-Action Award.
• In 2006, she was chosen as an Ashoka Fellow.
• In 2007, Seed Magazine named her one of their eight "Revolutionary Minds in Science."

Gladys Kalema-Zikusoka was featured in the BBC documentary Gladys the African Vet. She has also appeared in documentaries on National Geographic, Animal Planet, MNet, and Uganda Television. In 2008, she was one of nine international environmental leaders asked to write a letter to the next US president for Sierra Club Magazine.

In 2018, Dr. Kalema-Zikusoka received the EarthCare Award from the United States-based Sierra Club. This award recognized her special efforts to protect the environment and help communities and mountain gorillas live together in Uganda. She received the award in Denver, Colorado, USA.

In December 2021, she was named the United Nations Environment Programme's Champion of the Earth for Science and Innovation.

In April 2022, Dr. Kalema-Zikusoka received the Edinburgh Medal. This award honored her work in improving the lives of both people and wildlife. She is a leader in using a 'One Health' approach, which means looking at how human and animal health are connected.

In November 2023, the BBC included Dr. Kalema-Zikusoka on their 100 Women list. This list celebrates some of the world's most inspiring and influential women.

See also

In Spanish: Gladys Kalema-Zikusoka para niños