Tribal Health: A Public Health Exigency and Road Map to Future

Tribal health is a special concern for India as it has not been addressed holistically in last 75 years of post-independence era. The evidence of present status of health of tribal people which constitutes more than 8.6% of total population is not convincing. Although the information available in bits and pieces shows a dismal picture of their health. They suffer from triple burden of disease and the morbidity profile is poorer than the non-tribal population. Though the tribal people have poor health but it was assumed that uniform national pattern of healthcare would address their unmet health needs. The different terrain, different social environment, and different culture make their healthcare needs different and hence their health remains an unsolved problem. Although, there has been push from government toward their health but a holistic approach to understand their need is important. Collaborative partnerships between tribal communities, healthcare providers, and government agencies are essential to developing culturally appropriate and sustainable solutions that honor their traditional knowledge and provide modern healthcare to them which is accessible and acceptable to them.