What does protecting endangered mountain gorillas have to do with caring for people? For Dr. Gladys Kalema-Zikusoka, the two are deeply connected.
In this episode of Revolutionary Woman, Uganda’s first wildlife veterinarian joins Tes Silverman to share how her work with gorillas led her to found Conservation Through Public Health. They discuss wildlife conservation, community health, and the One Health approach—and what it takes to follow your calling when others doubt you.
Dr. Gladys Kalema-Zikusoka is Founder and CEO of Conservation Through Public Health, a Ugandan NGO and US registered non-profit, established in 2003. After completing a Bachelor in Veterinary Medicine from Royal Veterinary College, University of London in 1995 she became Uganda Wildlife Authority’s first veterinary officer. In 2003 she completed a Master in Specialized Veterinary Medicine and Zoological Medicine Residency at North Carolina State University and North Carolina Zoological Park, and a certificate in non-profit management at Duke University. CTPH established Gorilla Conservation Coffee in 2015 to support smallholder farmers bordering habitats with gorillas. CTPH won the 2012 Global Development Network Japanese Most Innovative Development Project Award and 2020 Saint Andrews Prize for the Environment.
Dr Gladys is an Ashoka Fellow, National Geographic Explorer, and winner of the Whitley Gold Award, Sierra Club Earthcare Award, UNEP Champion of the Earth Award in Science and Innovation, Uganda Veterinary Association World Veterinary Day Award, Edinburgh Medal, Tallberg-SNF-Elliasson global leadership prize and Indianapolis Prize. She served on the WHO SAGO – Scientific Advisory Group for the Origin of Novel Pathogens, and International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) One Health Research, Education, and Outreach (OHRECA) advisory committee. She is a Patron of Population Matters. She was named to the BBC 100 Women list in 2023, and her work was featured on CNN’s Call to Earth in 2025 and BBC’s People Fixing the World in 2026. She was also named among the 2026 CNN Heroes. She is an author of “Walking with Gorillas: The Journey of an African Wildlife Vet”, her memoir and charter, and over 60 papers.
Follow us on:
Twitter: @doctorgladys, @CTPHuganda, @GCCoffee1
Facebook: Dr Gladys Kalema-Zikusoka, CTPH.org, Gorilla Conservation Coffee
Instagram: gladyskalemazikusoka, ctph_uganda, gorillaconservation_coffee
Linked in: gladys-kalema-zikusoka
If this conversation resonates with you, you may also enjoy Caring for People and Planet with Vijaya Chakravarty https://revwoman.com/podcast/caring-for-people-and-planet-vijaya-chakravarty/ , exploring how caring for nature also supports the people who live alongside it
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This episode used the following music: Time to Shine by tubebackr & Popsicles https://soundcloud.com/tubebackr https://soundcloud.com/popsiclesmusic Creative Commons — Attribution-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported — CC BY-ND 3.0 Free Download / Stream: https://www.audiolibrary.com.co/tubebackr-and-popsicles/time-to-shine Music promoted by Audio Library https://youtu.be/Cvbjhx6X4ZY