问与答：乌干达的第一个野生动植物兽医想改变世界

在乌干达的森林社区,紧张和conflict with wildlife can be common. And living closely together can mean that illnesses pass between humans and animals.

The One Health approach recognises that human, animal and environmental health are interconnected. Years before this concept was thrust into the spotlight by the outbreak of COVID-19, Gladys Kalema-Zikusoka was putting it into practice.

The pioneering wildlife veterinarian has just been named a地球冠军for Science and Innovation – the highest honour from the United Nations Environment Programme. As the founder of通过公共卫生保护, Kalema-Zikusoka works tirelessly to protect the health of mountain gorillas while improving the lives and livelihoods of the communities who live with them.

How was your journey to becoming Uganda’s first wildlife veterinarian?

当我12岁的时候，我们的隔壁邻居有一只宠物猴子叫雨口。有一次我弹钢琴，雨披来了，还弹了一张音符。那只猴子很特别。这是我第一次介绍灵长类动物，以及他们的聪明人，以及为什么保护他们的重要性。

我去了皇家兽医学院的英国兽医学校。当我毕业时，我开始是乌干达野生动物管理局的第一位兽医。当时，当时乌干达国家公园与游戏部合并以建立乌干达野生动物管理局。当时，我们从来没有为野生动植物兽医的原因是野生动物。您不应该对待它们，他们应该在野外。因此，在最初的几年中，我花了很多时间来解释为什么在野生动植物中享用兽医很重要 - 因为人们直接通过割草或疾病直接影响野生动植物。实际上，UWA考虑拥有兽医的主要原因之一是因为旅游业才刚刚开始，他们担心游客会给大猩猩带来致命的流感。

在这一集的SCIDEV.NET播客Africa Science Focus中，了解有关Gladys Kalema-Zikusoka与大猩猩的惊人冒险之旅的更多信息

As a zoonotic disease expert, how have you been able to inculcate your research in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, and ensure that the animals are safe in their habitats?

当人们在花园中有公开排便，大猩猩访问这些花园时，他们可以捡起寄生虫。因此，您最终患有钩虫，甚至引起霍乱和伤寒的细菌疾病。And so, we felt it was important to regularly collect faecal samples from the gorillas and find out early enough if they’re being infected by people.

We have aGorilla Health and Community Conservation Center在Bwindi，我们每个月都有一个野外实验室分析大猩猩的样本，我们从每个大猩猩组中收集样品，并寻找他们可以拥有的东西，以及他们可以从当地社区获得的样本。然后，我们能够在当地社区，直接在大猩猩或牲畜中解决问题 - 他们可以从人民的牛或山羊那里捡起寄生虫，而不仅仅是从社区中。

We have used the same approach to address COVID-19. We started off by advocating the Uganda Wildlife Authority so that whoever visits the gorillas should wear a mask and maintain a ten-metre distance. We got the local entrepreneurs to make the masks. Tourism had to stop for six months, poaching went up, but at least those people making masks for rangers and gorilla guardians, they kept going. We also trained our village health and conservation teams who are Community Health Workers – if you’re sick with scabies, tuberculosis, HIV, they give advice on what they should do. We’re testing the gorillas and the people for COVID-19 and trying to make sure that they’re not making each other sick.

You’re on the leadership council of Women for the Environment Africa. What unique role do you think women should play in environmental science and policy?

我们为非洲的环境创办了妇女，因为我们认为妇女应该拥beplay足球体育的微博有更多的领导职务。在保护和环境空间中，女性很少。beplay足球体育的微博而且确实需要做一些事情。当我第一次开始在野生动植物工作时，国家公园没有女游骑兵，现在大约20％ - 这很好，但是还有很长的路要走。

我想改变世界的事实是我的动力。通过想让野生动植物和与野生动植物共享栖息地的人们使世界变得更好。我学习兽医药，因为我喜欢动物。但是我想通过建立一个非政府组织来为除兽医而不是兽医做出贡献[通过公共卫生保护] that also supports the communities. I’m combining my veterinary knowledge and my passion for wildlife and wanting to develop the country.

为了清晰和简洁，对这次采访进行了编辑。

这件作品由Scidev.net的撒哈拉以南非洲桌子制作。