Ugandan conservationist among five CNN Heroes finalists

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Uganda's pioneering wildlife veterinarian and conservationist, Dr Gladys Kalema-Zikusoka, has been named among the five finalists for the 2026 CNN Heroes award, earning international recognition for her efforts to protect endangered mountain gorillas while improving the lives of communities living alongside them.

CNN announced the five finalists on October 28, following thousands of nominations from around the world.

Dr Gladys Kalema holding a pack of Gorilla Coffee in Buhoma sector in the outskirts of Bwindi National Park. (Photo by Julius Luwemba)

The award recognises individuals whose contributions are transforming communities through compassion, innovation and service. Dr Kalema, the founder and chief executive officer of Conservation Through Public Health (CTPH), becomes the third Ugandan to receive CNN Heroes recognition since the initiative was launched in 2007.

Her selection recognises nearly three decades of pioneering conservation work, particularly her efforts to integrate wildlife protection with public health and sustainable community livelihoods.

"This recognition shines a light on Uganda and Africa, as well as primatologists and conservationists," Kalema said, following the announcement. "When I became the first Ugandan wildlife veterinarian, I never imagined that caring for mountain gorillas would lead to a movement linking conservation, public health and sustainable livelihoods," she added.

Kalema founded CTPH in 2003 to address the interconnected challenges facing endangered mountain gorillas and communities surrounding their habitats. Her conservation approach emerged after investigations into a disease outbreak among mountain gorillas in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park linked transmission to neighbouring human communities.

The experience reinforced her conviction that wildlife conservation could not succeed without improving human health. Her organisation has since reached more than 10,000 households with interventions covering community health, hygiene, family planning and conservation education. It also supports sustainable livelihoods to reduce communities' dependence on forest resources.

Dr Gladys Kalema founded Conservation Through Public Health (CTPH)in 2003 to address the interconnected challenges facing endangered mountain gorillas and communities surrounding their habitats. (Photo by Julius Luwemba)

In 2015, Kalema established Gorilla Conservation Coffee, a social enterprise that helps coffee farmers living near gorilla habitats access better markets while adopting conservation-friendly agricultural practices. According to her CNN profile, the mountain gorilla population in Bwindi has increased by more than 50% during the period of these community-centred conservation efforts.

Uganda's CNN Heroes legacy

Dr Kalema joins two other Ugandans previously recognised through the CNN Heroes initiative.

Sr Rosemary Nyirumbe became the first Ugandan CNN Hero in 2007 for her work at St Monica's Vocational School in Gulu, rehabilitating girls and young women affected by atrocities committed by the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) in northern Uganda.

In 2012, Dr Jackson Kaguri Twesigye received recognition for founding the Nyaka AIDS Orphans Project, which supported vulnerable children and grandmothers caring for grandchildren orphaned by HIV/AIDS.

Kalema's selection extends Uganda's representation in the global initiative, which has recognised more than 350 individuals from over 110 countries since its inception.

Others in the 2026 race

The Ugandan conservationist is competing alongside four other finalists from the United States and Mexico, making Kalema the only African in the race.

The other finalists include Dion Dawson, founder of Dion's Chicago Dream, which addresses food insecurity by delivering fresh produce to vulnerable households in Chicago.

Andrew Lunetta, co-founder of A Tiny Home for Good in New York, has been recognised for providing housing and support to people experiencing homelessness.

Janice Spagis, founder of Cats of San Bernardino in California, is recognised for her animal rescue and rehabilitation initiatives, while Kiko Trujillo of Mexico works through Arizona-Sonora border projects to provide affordable prosthetics, wheelchairs and other assistive devices to people with disabilities.

Millions at stake

Beyond international recognition, the CNN Heroes award provides financial resources to help finalists expand their humanitarian and community initiatives.

Each of the five finalists will receive $10,000 (approximately sh43m) to support their work. The overall CNN Hero of the Year will receive an additional $100,000 (approximately sh428m) from CNN and a further $100,000 unrestricted grant from the Elevate Prize Foundation.

The remaining four finalists will benefit from donation-matching opportunities of up to $50,000 (sh200m), alongside organisational capacity-building support.

CTPH co-founder Dr Stephen Rubanga said winning the overall award would significantly strengthen the organisation's conservation programmes.

Dr Kalema established a community and gorilla health centre at the outskirts of Bwindi impenetrable national park which carries out postmortem in case of unexplained death of apes. It is equipped with modern equipment and technology to handle highly infectious pathogens and doing regular bacteriology and virology. (Photo by Julius Luwemba)

"It would mean an opportunity to mobilise additional resources to protect endangered Mountain gorillas, strengthening and expanding community health, gorilla health, conservation education and sustainable livelihood initiatives," Rubanga stated.

Public voting

Kalema's announcement as one of the finalists has excited several Ugandans, who have taken to social media and other platforms to share voting links.

Their reactions reflect the pride and enthusiasm surrounding her achievement, as well as the opportunity for Uganda to have another CNN Hero.

Online voting, which opened on October 28, will close on November 29, before the winner is announced on December 5, 2026. Supporters can cast up to 10 votes daily using an email address.

Past awards

In 2021, Dr Kalema-Zikusoka was named among the United Nations' Champions of the Earth. She was recognised by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) in the Science and Innovation category, alongside Barbados Prime Minister Mia Mottley, who received recognition in the Policy Leadership category.

In November 2022, Kalema was recognised among three established leaders working in different fields whose leadership was rooted in universal values with global relevance and the potential to inspire others.

Dr Gladys Kalema, husband and son, donating a plaque with drawn gorilla portraits to Nnaabagereka Sylvia Nagginda, recently. (Photo by Julius Luwemba)

She was recognised alongside Yevgenia Albats, a Russian investigative journalist, political scientist, author and radio host, and Dr Sam Muller, founding director of The Hague Institute for Innovation of Law, who had worked to promote transparency in legal systems and improve access to justice for populations around the world.

The Tällberg-SNF-Eliasson Global Leadership prizes were awarded to the three established individuals with substantial records of achievement who, in the jury's judgement, were likely to continue making important positive contributions in their chosen fields.

Other awards include the 2008 San Diego Zoo Conservation-in-Action Award, a Whitley Gold Award in 2009, a 2011 WINGS Women of Discovery and Exploration Humanity Award, and an award presented to her by President Yoweri Museveni in 2017 for her contribution to the country as a conservationist and veterinarian.

She also won a Sierra Club EarthCare Award in 2018 and the Uganda Veterinary Association's World Veterinary Day Award in 2020, among several others.