Tribal communities in India experience high levels of health issues and deprivation. They lag behind national averages on key health indicators like sex ratio, literacy rates, and nutritional levels. Common diseases among tribes include waterborne illnesses, malaria, tuberculosis, sickle cell anemia, and mental health issues. While the government has instituted programs to improve tribal healthcare, many challenges remain such as inadequate infrastructure, personnel shortages, and cultural barriers. Additional efforts are needed to close health gaps and ensure tribal communities receive effective medical services.

1. Tribal Health Status in India
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2. Introduction
 Being among the poorest and most
marginalised groups in India, tribals
experience extreme levels of health
deprivation.
 The tribal community lags behind the
national average on several vital public
health indicators, with women and
children being the most vulnerable
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3. Definition
 A tribe is a distinct people, dependent
on their land for their livelihood, who are
largely self-sufficient, and not integrated
into the national society
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4. PART OF INDIAN CONSTITUTION
According to Article 342 of the Constitution,
Officially recognized by the Indian government
as "Scheduled Tribes" in the Fifth Schedule of
the Constitution of India,
eligible for certain affirmative action measures.
The community should be declared as TRIBES
by the President through a public notification

7.
Tribal constitute 8.61% of the total
population (2011 Census) and cover
about 15% of the country’s area.
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8. Tribal Communities
 705 Tribal communities in India
 75 Primitive tribal communities
 Not found in Punjab and Haryana

9. Andaman Primitive Tribal
Communities
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10. The uncontacted tribes
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11. AERIAL FOOTAGE OF
UNCONTACTED TRIBES
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Mere contact with outsiders was often
sufficient to set off deadly epidemics

12. The Andamanese Tribes
 Great Andamanese, estimated 53
 Jarawa now estimated 250 to 300
 Jangil -90 to100
 Onge, now fewer than 100
 Sentinelese, now estimated to be 39
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13. Extinction
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14. Sentinelese Tribes
 the most isolated people
 39 individuals-21 males
and 18 females
In 2006,
Sentinelese archers killed
two fishermen who were
fishing illegally within range
of the island 14

15. Jarawa Tribes
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250–300
Healthiest
Optimal Nutritional
Status
( when they felt the earthquake, they
are said to have stuck their bows and
arrows in the ground in an effort to
reduce the intensity)

16. Time ticking for India's Jarawa
tribe
 "There are instances of Measles and
Malaria outbreak among the Jarawa as
a result of frequent contact with
outsiders and it could well be the
beginning of the end for the tribe,“
 According to experts, one of the key
reasons for the changes in Jarawa
lifestyle has been the construction of the
ATR
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17. Andaman Trunk Road
In 2002, the supreme court ordered the closure of the road , but the
authorities have defied this, not only keeping the road open but
actually widening it
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18. Extinction of Bo Community
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19. POPULATION DISTRIBUTION
 Central Indian states have the country's
largest tribes, and, taken as a whole,
roughly 75% of the total tribal population
live there.

20. Indian Tribal Belt
 India Tribal Belt stretches from
 Gujarat in the west up to Assam in the
east across the states of Madhya
Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand.
 It is among the poorest regions of the
country.
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21. Distribution of Scheduled Tribe
Population by States - 2011

23. Tribal population of Tamilnadu
Tribal population:1% of
total
male: total:4,01,068
Rural :3,33,178
Urban:67890
Female:total:3,93,629
Rural:3,27,102
Urban:66527
In accordance with The
Scheduled Castes and
Scheduled Tribes Orders
(Amendment) Act, 1976:
36 tribal communities
 Sex ratio per thousand
 Total:981
 Rural:982
 Urban:980

24. Primitive tribes in tamilnadu
 Kattu Nayakans
 . Kotas
 . Kurumbas
 . Irulas
 . Paniyans
 . Todas (polyandry)
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25. DIFFERENT TYPES OF TRIBES

26. Tribal classification
 Agriculturists
 Cattle herder
 Folk artisans
 Labourers
Food gatherers and hunters

27. Key Indicators

28. Key health indicators

29. Indicator Sex Ratio Child Sex Ratio
2001 2011 2001 2011
Total Population
Total 933 943 927 919
Rural 946 949 934 923
Urban 900 929 907 905
Scheduled Castes
Total 936 945 938 933
Rural 939 945 941 936
Urban 923 946 924 922
Scheduled Tribes
Total 978 990 973 957
Rural 981 991 974 959
Urban 944 980 951 940
Sex Ratio & Child Sex Ratio (Females per 1000 males) INDIA
Source: Primary Census Abstract for Total population, Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, 2011
Office of the Registrar General & Census Commissioner, India

30. Indicator Literates Effective
Literacy Rate
2001 2011 2001 2011
Total Population
Total 56,06,87,797 76,34,98,517 64.8 73.0
Rural 36,17,36,601 48,26,53,540 58.7 67.8
Urban 19,89,51,196 28,08,44,977 79.9 84.1
Scheduled Castes
Total 7,53,18,285 11,37,59,907 54.7 66.1
Rural 5,58,06,266 8,20,20,232 51.2 62.8
Urban 1,95,12,019 3,17,39,675 68.1 76.2
Scheduled Tribes
Total 3,23,86,821 5,16,35,423 47.1 59.0
Rural 2,82,94,749 4,46,31,645 45.0 56.9
Urban 40,92,072 70,03,778 69.1 76.8
Literates & Literacy Rate (Persons) INDIA
Source: Primary Census Abstract for Total population, Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, 2011
Office of the Registrar General & Census Commissioner, India

31. Literacy Rate (Persons) INDIA
Source: Primary Census Abstract for Total population, Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, 2011
Office of the Registrar General & Census Commissioner, India
State/
Union Territory #
Literacy rate State/
Union Territory #
Literacy rate
Top 5 Bottom 5
Scheduled Castes
Daman & Diu # 92.6 Bihar 48.6
Mizoram 92.4 Jharkhand 55.9
Tripura 89.4 Rajasthan 59.7
D & N Haveli # 89.4 Uttar Pradesh 60.9
Kerala 88.7 Andhra Pradesh 62.3
Scheduled Tribes
Lakshadweep # 91.7 Andhra Pradesh 49.2
Mizoram 91.5 Jammu & Kashmir 50.6
Nagaland 80.0 Madhya Pradesh 50.6
Sikkim 79.7 Bihar 51.1
Tripura 79.1 Odisha 52.2

32. LR
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33. Nutritional Status
 Nutritional Status:
 46.6% ST women have BMI below 18.5, indicating a high
prevalence of nutritional deficiency.
 68.5 % (55%)of women and 39.6 % (25%) of men are
anemic – highest among all social groups
  Only 21% of ST children age 12-35 months received
vitamin A supplements
  Among children age 6-59 months, the figure drops
further to only 14.6%.
 76.8% of ST children are anaemic - 26.3 % mild, 47.2
% moderate & 3.3 % severe
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37. Diseases Encountered
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38. COMMUNICABLE DISEASES
 Water borne and communicable
diseases:
 Gastrointestinal disorders are very
common, leading to marked morbidity
and malnutrition.
 Malaria and tuberculosis.
 Spectrum of viral and venereal
diseases.

39. GENETIC DISORDERS
 High prevalence of
genetic disorders
mostly involving red
blood cells:
Genetically
transmitted
disorders like sickle
cell anaemia.
 G6PD deficiency
and different forms
of Thalassaemia are
also common.

40. Sickle cell Disease
> 19% Sickle cell
disease in 35 Tribal
groups
 >40% Sickle Cell
trait
 Irula ,Paniyan of
Nilgiri Hills
 Adiyan of Kerala
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41. G6PD Deficiency
 13 lakh Tribal
Population
 > 15 % among tribal
population in
TamilNadu,
Orissa,Maharastra,
Madhyapradesh
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42. Mental Health Issues
 20/1000 (73)
 11/1000 Depression
(20)
 3/1000 Hysteria
 2/1000 Phobia
 1/1000
Schizophrenia (1.5)
 0.4/1000 Mania
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43. AIDS
 2.9/1000 per among tribes (2.8)
 Heterosexual transmission
 Blood and Blood related products
 Homosexual Transmission
 Vertical Transmission
 Needle stick Injuries
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44. Malaria in Madyapradesh
30% of Malaria Cases
 60% of Falciparam cases
 50% of Malaria Death
 (According to the report, malaria control
in Madhya Pradesh is complex because
of vast tracts of forest with tribal
settlement)06/17/15 44

45. IMPROPER NUTRITION
 Deficiency of essential components in
diet leading to malnutrition, protein
calorie malnutrition and micronutrient
deficiencies.
 Goitre of various grades is also
endemic in some of the tribal areas.

49. Long way to go?

50. WAYS
 Regular clinics in all villages to see all pregnant
mothers and children less than five years.
 Refreshing and sharing knowledge with tribal
women.
 Tribal girls working as Health Workers.
 Postnatal checkups in all villages once a week .
 Health education and discussion of social
problems.
 Dramas and cultural shows to spread
information.
 Outpatients & Inpatients seen at the Tribal
Hospital.

51.  Ensuring availability of adequate
infrastructure and personnel.
 Area specific RCH programmes.
 Effective implementation of the Health &
Family Welfare programmes.
 Close monitoring, early detection of
problems in implementation and
midcourse correction.

52. Incentives
 Almost every State in the country is facing
tough challenge to retain doctors in remote
tribal pockets
 In Chhattisgarh, specialists are being offered up
to Rs. 1 lakh
 In Madhya Pradesh, doctors in difficult areas
get double the salary of those in normal areas
 Under outreach referral services in Gujarat,
paediatricians and gynaecologists are being
paid Rs. 2,500 to Rs. 3,000 per visit to difficult
areas as against Rs. 1,500 for normal areas.06/17/15 52

53. TRIBALS PERSPECTIVES
 Establish a NGO including tribal representatives.
 Establish especially a higher educational institution in tribal area
 Conduct seminars and conferences in tribal areas
 Appropriate findings should be presented that address limitations also
 Eliminate “mediators” who absorb all benefits which are the rights of
tribes
 Do not close down primary schools even if there are just 1 or 2 students
 Design & develop flexible & contextual education curriculum (local
dialect).
 Design community schools with seasonal flexibility
 Family centred education.
 Inadequate and forceful resettlement policies and lack of rehabilitation
 Urging researchers to help the tribes give them their rights

54. WHAT CAN RESEARCHERS DO?
 Gather empirical evidence of effectiveness of the programs
such as
 Integrated Tribal Development Programme.
 Present evidence to government for further appropriate action
 Gather qualitative aspects which bring to light the real causes
of situations like
 school drop outs, education etc.
 Explore how technology and social media can alleviate
various problems
 Design and evaluate if schools like Navodaya Model School
can be started in all tribal settings.
 Emphasis on tribal medicine research

55. GOVERNMENT INITIATIVES
 Till June 30, 2006 there were 20097 sub-centres
functioning against a requirement of 28383 sub-
centres for tribal areas.
 The number of functioning PHCs were 3260 against a
requirement of 4180 and functioning CHCs were 446
against a requirement of 492.
 There are also 1122 Dispensaries and 120 Hospitals
and 78 Mobile Clinics in Modern Medicine .
 1106 Dispensaries and 24 Hospitals in Ayurveda.
 251 Dispensaries and 28 Hospitals in Homeopathy.

56. Eklavya
 Ekalavya Model Residential School (EMRS)
 the government gives one time Rs 30 lakh grant for
establishing the school, thereafter up to Rs. 30 lakh
per school annually.
 Additional cost is borne by state governments.
 By 2007, 72 Eklavya Model Residential Schools
(EMRS) were established in tribal areas across India,
including highest 10 in Orissa, followed by 8 each in
Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and
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57. Mobile Medical Unit
The mobile medical unit
comprises a doctor, lab
technician, nurse, auxiliary
mid wife and driver. The
vehicle is fitted with all
necessary equipment,
including, microscope and a
mini-lab.
 Doctors will screen tribal
people for diabetes, cardiac
diseases, hypertension,
symptoms of tuberculosis
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58. Goal
 Improvement of healthcare infrastructure.
 Developing a flawless referral system.
 Provide diagnostic facilities for genetic defects.
 Follow up of anemic and other severe patients.
 Carry out population genetic survey programs.
 Health education.
 Genetic counseling.
 Marriage counseling.
 Provide prenatal diagnosis.

59. Tribal welfare programmes/schemes in
India
 1. Integrated Tribal Development Project
 2. Nursery-cum-Women Welfare Centres
 3. Mid Day Meal Scheme
 4. Janshala Programme
 5. Tribal Alternate Education Programme 2002-2007
 6. Scheme of strengthening education among scheduled tribe girls in
low
 literacy districts
 7. Incentives for education
 8. Ashram schools
 9. Pre matric hostels
 10. Post matric hostels
 11. Grant in aid schemes for welfare of scheduled tribes
 12. Scholarships
 13. Tribes India
 14. National Overseas Scholarships
 15. Book Bank Scheme
 16. Central Sector Scheme for up gradation of merit of SC/ST students
 17. Tribal research centre

60. Role of NGOs
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61.   Tribes do not believe NGOs
role in their development
  High exploitation of tribes by
NGOs
  The funds availed from
governments by NGOs for the
betterment of tribes not
 reaching the main beneficiary..
  Empty promises and
innumerable surveys for data
without any benefits or
 improvement in the status of the
tribal participants

62. NGOs in India - 99% Fraud
 The Delhi high court has called for toughening of
licensing norms for NGOs observing that 99% of
them are "fraud" and "merely money making
devices".
 "Most private run so called philanthropic
organizations do not understand their social
responsibilities.
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63. Tribal Health Initiative
a non profit organisation located in the Sittilingi
valley in Dharmapuri district, Tamil Nadu

64. Tribal Health Initiative
 It works for the welfare of the local people who
are predominantly Malavasi tribals.
As of 2010 it has grown to include a 24-bed
hospital with a labour room, neonatal unit,
operation theatre, diagnostic laboratory and
imaging facilities, a community health outreach
programme
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65. Achievement
 Imr =147/1000 in 1992
 Imr=20/1000 in 2012
 The proportion of pregnant mothers
coming for AN check-ups has increased
from 11 per cent to 90 per cent
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66. THI
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66

67. www.TribesIndia.com
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68. Eshop.Tribesindia.com
-Ministry of Tribal Affairs
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69. Minister OF Tribal Affairs
Jual Oram – 27 May 2014
69

70. Tribal Minister Of Tamilnadu
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Thiru N.Subramanian
Adi Dravidar Welfare and Welfare of Hill Tribes and
Bonded Labour

71. Survival International- an NGO
 A human
rights organisation
formed in 1969 that
campaigns for
the rights of
tribal people
 guided by the principle
that tribal ways of
living are not deficient,
but in fact are
desirable and should
be maintained
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72. Quotes of Survival International
06/17/15 72
Tribal people are not ‘backward’,
they haven’t been ‘left behind’.
They choose to live on their land,
in their own ways.
PROUD, NOT PRIMITIVE.
.’

73. Proud not primitive
 Eat vegetables- they
do it
 Drink pure and clean
water-they do it
 Walk a lot-they do it
 Live amidst nature-
they do it
 Don’t destroy forest
to reduce pollution-
they do it
 Avoid stress-they do
it

74. SI – Campaign
1. use multiple media.
2.writing letters to
governments,
3. spreading the word
through sponsorships,
4. leaflets
5.demonstrations
6.film shows, and
7.collecting money from
a variety of events
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75.  Vedanta Resources, a British
company, lost a battle to dig an open-
pit bauxite mine on Niyamgiri
mountain in India.
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Latest Battle

76. ILO 169
 The only
international law that
can secure tribal
peoples’ land rights
 ILO 169 recognizes
and protects tribal
peoples’ land
ownership rights,
and sets a series of
minimum UN
standards regarding
consultation and
consent.06/17/15 76

77. International Day –August 9
 observed on August 9 each year to
promote and protect the rights of the
world’s indigenous population.
 The theme of this year’s International
Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples
was “Bridging the gap — implementing
the rights of indigenous people.”
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78. Conclusion
 Tribals’ right to good healthcare must be
addressed using modern technology and
innovative approaches involving the community.
 Health is intimately linked to inclusive development
with food and nutrition security, safe housing and
availability of sanitation and clean drinking water.
 There are many successful examples of good
healthcare delivery in remote tribal areas in our
country
 These models need to be scaled up in order to
improve the lives of the most vulnerable and
marginalised citizens of our country.
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79. 06/17/15 79