Resolving the tribal health challenge
- After Independence, India has made remarkable strides, emerging as the world’s fifth-largest economy and a leader in the digital realm.
- India has demonstrated the ethos of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam (One World, One Family).
- One of the finest examples of this is India’s contribution towards the global vaccination drive during the pandemic when it supplied vaccines to countries across the globe.
- Under “Vaccine Maitri”, India provided over 60 million vaccine doses to neighbouring countries and other parts of the world.
- However, India must also consider how it can build a healthcare system that caters to all communities.
Tribal Population and its health challenges in India
- 8.9 per cent of the population is constituted by the tribal communities in India.
- They remain the most neglected and deprived group when it comes to access to healthcare.
- Compare to the national average the mortality rate and infant mortality in tribal areas are 44 per cent and 63 per cent higher respectively.
- This underlines the urgent need to empower tribal communities and ensure they receive equitable healthcare access.
- Challenges: lack of infrastructure, medical professionals, connectivity, affordability, equipment, insurance, funding, and much more.
Solutions for Tribal Health Challenges
Empowering Tribal Communities
- Empowering tribal communities while keeping in mind their traditions and other intangible heritage touchpoints.
- The health of communities is influenced by various factors, these factors can be tackled with a more communitarian social setup.
Medical colleges and training centres
- These institutions can equip local healthcare providers with the necessary skills and knowledge to offer quality healthcare services.
- Local healthcare providers can understand the cultural sensitivities of tribal communities.
- It can bridge the gap in healthcare infrastructure and provide job opportunities for the local population.
Public-Private Partnerships in Tribal Health
- NITI Aayog and United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) jointly released a compendium of best practices across 14 social sectors, highlighting initiatives that are sustainable, innovative, impactful and replicable.
- They highlighted the Mera Baccha Abhiyan as one of the best practices.
Mera Baccha Abhiyan
- Aim: to fight malnutrition through public participation in Datia district, Madhya Pradesh.
- The malnutrition rate of the district dropped by 17.5 per cent, making it lower than the state’s average.
- The district also witnessed a rise in immunisation from 53.2 per cent to 79.6 per cent, breastfeeding from 32 per cent to 56.4 per cent, and a drop in diarrhoea from 12.9 per cent to 5.7 per cent.
- The scheme demonstrates the power of public partnerships in healthcare provision.
The responsibility of providing healthcare, a fundamental human right, for all our fellow citizens, lies both with private and government institutions. By inclusive leadership and investments in healthcare infrastructure in tribal areas, India can empower its tribal communities, achieve sustainable development, and fulfil the United Nations SDGs.
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