Urgent Action to curb COVID to people and gorillas

This report covers the activities which Conservation Through Public Health (CTPH) has implemented under the project (#52950) “Urgent Action to curb COVID to people and gorillas”.

In the last report, the project raised $17,561.19 from 48 donors including two donors giving monthly donations. Todate, the project has raised $18,036 raised of $30,000 goal.

What we have done in this quarter

Village COVID-19 Taskforce (VCTFs) members continued to sensitize community members about how to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and other zoonotic diseases among people and from people to mountain gorillas and other wildlife.

VCTF members also collected data on the COVID-19 cases around Bwindi Impenetrable National Park (BINP). Data from this quarter indicates that there were no COVID-19 cases in villages around BINP. The Ministry of Health data also indicates that there are currently no admitted cases in Uganda, despite the cumulative 169,663 cases since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.

VCTF members have also been instrumental in sensitizing communities about vaccination against COVID-19 following the government of Uganda mass vaccination program. There has been an increase in the COVID-19 vaccine uptake in Uganda, with the total number of total doses administered now 26,140,832.

However, on 20th September 2022, the Ministry of Health declared an outbreak of Sudan Ebola Virus in the central part of Uganda with 141 cumulative cases confirmed. Although Ebola Virus Disease most commonly affects humans, it can also jump to other nonhuman primates such as monkeys, gorillas, and chimpanzees. Because of this, we have since urged VCTFs members around Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, home to half of the world’s remaining mountain gorillas to be vigilant and ensure that they continue sensitizing community members emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases including Ebola signs, and symptoms, how it spreads and how it can be mitigated.

We will keep you updated on the Ebola situation in subsequent communications.

We would like to thank GlobalGiving and all the individual donors for the continued support to protecting mountain gorillas and supporting the communities living around the gorillas’ habitat of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park.

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This report covers the activities which Conservation Through Public Health (CTPH) has implemented under the project (#52950) “Urgent Action to curb COVID to people and gorillas” during the period April 2022 to July 2022.

In the last report, the project had raised $17,321.41 out of the $30,000 goal from 47 donors, including four monthly donors. To date, the project has raised $17,561.19 from 48 donors including two donors giving monthly donations.

General performance report

CTPH Community Health and Conservation Field Officer, Sharon Akampurira has been monitoring the work carried out by the Village COVID-19 Taskforce (VCTF) members.

From observation and interaction with VCTF members, communities around Bwindi Impenetrable National Park have clearly understood the dangers that come with COVID-19 if preventive measures are not followed.

Continuous communication and sensitization has been ongoing in gatherings such as church services, weddings, burials, and meetings as well as protective mask wearing and taking body temperatures before joining a gathering or meeting. These measures have helped in preventing the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic around Bwindi because minimal cases have been found with signs and symptoms of COVID-19 in the community during this quarter as can be seen in the table. 

VCTF members and the general community showed their gratitude because the economy is fully functional. Schools, markets, tourism and other businesses are now allowed to operate normally because there are minimal cases of COVID-19 in Uganda.

“Continuous sensitization and health education has brought a big turn up of community members coming to health centers to be vaccinated along with their children above 18 years,” said Ms. Evas Kyomugabe a Village Health and Conservation Team (VHCT) and member of the VCTF in Kyumbugushu village in Mukono Parish.

We would like to thank GlobalGiving and all the individual donors for the continued support to protecting mountain gorillas and supporting the communities living around the gorillas’ habitat of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park.

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