Bwindi Tele-centre among finalists for International Award

Conservation Through Public Health Bwindi Impenetrable National Park Tele-centre, was nominated by an international jury as one of the 14 finalists in the “Environment” category from the world’s best ICT projects that competed in the Stockholm Challenge 2006.

The Prize giving ceremony will take place in the Stockholm City Hall on May 11th, 2006 and all finalists will be invited to participate in the event.

Conservation Through Public Health (CTPH) is a grassroots NGO that promotes conservation and public health by improving primary healthcare to people and animals in and around protected areas in Africa.

“Being a finalist in the Stockholm Challenge is a significant achievement for our NGO,” said Eng. Lawrence Zikusoka, Conservation Through Public Health, Founder and Director of ICT for Development.

“This event is an ideal forum to showcase new tele-centre approaches to monitoring the health of endangered mountain gorillas, strengthening the local economy, raising villagers’ and eco-tourists’ environmental awareness and improving human health practices in a Ugandan World Heritage Site.”

In 2005, CTPH in partnership with Uganda Communications Commission and the World Bank, Uganda Wildlife Authority, UNIDO, Coca Cola, Uganda Telecom, WYSE Technology, Makerere University, Multichoice, Caltex, Datafundi, Wougnet and I-Network set up the first community tele-centre to address the problems of poverty, isolation, poor health pratices, lack of knowledge on sustainable environments, and limited access to education and job training in and around Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, Uganda.

CTPH plans to build on the success of the telecentre project in Bwindi and establish a network of 10 or more tele-centres in and around conservation areas in Africa.

Plans are now being developed to expand CTPH programs to Queen Elizabeth National Park, funds have been secured from the MacArthur Foundation to establish wildlife health monitoring infrastructure in the park, and negotiations with Uganda Wildlife Authority are in the works to build a Tele-centre in their visitor’s center. CTPH anticipates program functionality in QENP in early 2006 and to then continue to expand the programs to other protected areas of Uganda and the region. Queen Elizabeth National Park is an interface of wildlife, livestock and humans as the local community grazes their cattle within the park leading to disease transmission such as Tuberculosis (TB) between wild buffalo, cattle and people.

“We seek to replicate the Bwindi model to educate the local population on the links between conservation, public health, ecotourism and livelihoods,” Zikusoka says.

More information about Bwindi tele-centre is available from lawrence@ctph.org
Mobile: (+256) 782-443300 Skype: lzikusoka or Headquarters Plot 39 Babiiha Avenue
P.O. Box 10950 Kampala UGANDA Fax: (+256) 41-342298 Email: info@ctph.org
Website: www.ctph.org

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