Despite impressive economic growth and infant mortality rate declining substantially over the years in the country, ironically the death rates are still startlingly high among tribal children due to the absence of basic health care facilities.
According to Government data, over 14 per cent of all under-five deaths and 23 per cent of deaths in the 1-4 age group are among the tribal children in the country.
The poor health indicators among the tribal children is likely to make it tough for the Government keen to reach to the UN’s Millennium Development 4 Goals. It aims to reduce the U5MR by one-third by 2015 from 2005.
Much needs to be done. The Government data shows the gap between tribal communities and the rest of the population is widening. For 15 years now, the number of malnourished tribal children, a major reason for mortality and morbidity has remained almost constant at about 55 per cent, compared with a 20 per cent drop among the rest of the population. In 2011, 16.55 lakh children under 5 years age had died in India, majority of them due to malnourishment.
As per a recent study, for children 1-5 years of age, the prevalence of underweight ranged from 13 per cent in the State Meghalaya to 77 per cent in Gujarat. The prevalence of stunting ranged from 20 per cent in Goa to 83 per cent in Gujarat. According to WHO, a prevalence of underweight above 30 per cent is considered a serious public health problem.
The most badly affected States, with a prevalence of underweight above 60 per cent are Gujarat, Odisha, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and Andhra Pradesh.
Madhya Pradesh has earned the dubious distinction by recording the highest deaths due to malnutrition. 95.6 in every 1,000 tribal children die of malnutrition, compared with 70 in every 1,000 for the State, according to a 2010 report by the Asian legal Resource Center, an international human rights organisation.
Waking up to the poor child survival in the far-off areas of the tribal regions, the research wing of the Union Health Ministry has now initiated area specific, tribe specific, action oriented health research in accordance with the felt needs of the tribal communities.
However, this will not solve all the problems afflicting
the tribal kids.
An analysis of the Rural Health Statistics in India 2011 reveal huge shortfall in the human resources and facilities at the sub-centre, primary health centre and community health centre level
Also, there is a need to tackle the vicious cycle of poverty, illiteracy, unemployment and social isolation faced by the India’s 84-million strong tribal population.
It may be noted that, as per the latest Sample Registration Survey data, Infant Mortality Ratio (IMR) has reduced to 44 in 2011from 58 in 2005. Noteworthy achievements have been recorded in states like Odisha, Rajasthan and Bihar where IMR has dropped by over 13 points since 2005.