The National Institute of Research in Tribal Health (NIRTH) has launched a one-of-its-kind study in Madhya Pradesh’s two tribal-dominated districts — Dindori and Umaria aiming to persuade traditional healers to help bring the patients of their community to mainstream health system if their local treatment failed to address the ailment.
NIRTH is the only permanent institution of the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) dedicated to improving tribal health and also the WHO Collaborating Centre for the Health of Indigenous Population in India.
The study follows concern that reliance on traditional healers is a common practice across tribal communities. But being from particularly vulnerable tribal groups (PVTGs) their health remains a constant concern despite various government health schemes launched for them.
According to various studies tribal people are presently having varied medical problems ranging from infectious diseases like TB to chronic one such as diabetes.
“But instead of going to government health centres, we have found that tribal people have tremendous faith in the local healers. Irrespective of the kind of disease they are having, they will first go to these healers, and take their advice and medicine.
“Only when they fail to get reprieve they approach clinicians in the public or private sector. By that time, its too late in many cases,” said Dr. Nishant Saxena, a social scientist from NIRTH, Jabalpur in Madhya Pradesh.
“So, no doubt these tribal doctors have the 4A advantage, i.e. availability, accessibility, affordability and acceptability in the ecosystem of tribal community,” said Dr Saxena.
“Studies show the number of patients approaching the tribal healers is sizable-- from 16 to 40 per cent.” India is home to more than 10.43 crore Scheduled Tribe (ST) people accounting for 8.6% of the country’s total population.
Among the 705 STs, 75 groups are categorized as PVTGs whose number is estimated to be 28 lakhs. Moreover, the study also aims to recognize the services of these healers whose traditional knowledge is fading as youth are not interested in taking up the tradition.
The need of the hour is to integrate the traditional healers, known as Gunia, Guni or Bhumka in Baiga, Bhil and Bharia tribes into modern medicine.
The study spanning three years being conducted in collaboration with the State Health Department will cover 1.5 lakh PVTGs from Baiga community residing in Umaria, located adjacent to Chattisgarh border and Dindori districts. Gradually, more districts with a tribal population will be covered.
“Till date there are no policies to recognize and acknowledge the services being provided by these healers for the community at large.
The study envisages to draw attention to this critical policy gap which, if filled, could help in achieving universal health coverage for all, especially in tribal areas,” said Dr Aparup Das, Director NIRTH and coordinator of the study.
He pointed out that at present there is no formal system of learning these practices and all these healers are carrying forward the traditional knowledge gathered over generations of habitation close to nature. In a country with such a huge tribal population, the public health system has so far not acknowledged the presence of this age-old system of healing which is still in vogue, especially in areas inhabited by these ethnic groups.
There's a plan to introduce an incentive-based model for traditional healers so as to integrate them with public health.
“This will be a win-win approach for all. We hope that this could encourage the young community members to take up this profession which is highly revered in the community and also open avenues for sustainable livelihood.” viewed Dr Kalyan B Saha and Dr Suyesh Shrivastava who are also investigators in this ambitious study.