HEALTH STATUS OF TRIBALWOMEN IN INDIA

BACKGROUND: Indian Tribes are customary, conservative and under-favored individuals.

They are socially and monetarily more vulnerable and furthermore under servile destitution and
live in a subsistence economy and general backwardness.. The significant hindrances to great
wellbeing are imbalance in health framework and radical poverty of the majority. Diseases
brings down learning capacity, lessens efficiency, income and reserve funds and it prompts low
quality of life and in this way sustaining neediness. India has the biggest tribal populace on the
planet. There are around 427 recognized tribal groups in India. According to 2001 Census' the
tribal populace of India is 84.3 million, bigger than that of some other nation on the planet.
India's adivasis languish outside the wellbeing inclusion net, with little access to medical clinics
and specialists .The report noticed that in contrast to the nation, tribals are caught in a one of a
kind circumstance, where they need to manage a “triple weight” of illnesses — the first is hunger
which leads to malnutrition , communicable diseases like sickle cell anemia, malaria,
tuberculosis (TB, etc; the second is non-transmittable infections like cancer, hypertension and
diabetes and the third is psychological well-being issues and addiction to opium and tobacco.
According to the estimates of National Family Health Survey-3 (NFHS-3), the probability of
getting care from a specialist is most reduced for ST mothers (just 32.8% contrasted with India
of 50.2%). While numerous procedures have been endeavored throughout the years to talk about
a portion of the monetary, social, and physical elements forestalling tribal populace to gain
advantage of medicinal services benefits, a definitive result has stayed far not exactly as per the
expectation. Taking into account that these ST bunches are socially and monetarily
heterogeneous, the strategies to handle their medical issues ought not exclusively be incorporated
and multi-overlap, yet in addition explicit to the individual groups as practically as could
reasonably be possible.

METHODOLOGY: The present examination is an assemblage of various studies on tribal

groups of India by sociologists. By studying the tribes from various geographic district and
discover the reason behind poor health condition of tribal women and malnutrition among them
even after offering help and assets from government and different NGOs was under action.

OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY: The objective of the present study was to feature the socio-
economic change alongside lifestyle modifications which bring about urgent health issues in
majority of tribal groups, to understand the need for proper implementation of health care
services in different tribal regions of India, to analyze the various Government Sponsored Health
care operations in order to protect the lives of Tribal’s and to make suggestions for additional
improvement.

1. Bano, Zenab (2002), “Tribal Women : The Gender Issues”, SAJOSPS, Vol. 3, No. 1, July-December, pp. 24-28 Page
2. Bhasim, Veena. (2007): Status of Tribal Women in India, Stud. Home Comm. Sci., Vol.1(1): 1-16.
3. https://www.tribal.nic.in/ST/StatisticalProfileofSTs2013.pdf
4. http://tribalhealthreport.in/
RESULTS/FINDINGS: Firstly, the belief on superstitious things leads to low fertility rate
among tribes. For instance, singpho tribe in Arunachal Pradesh and Assam, declining 2% every
year because of opium addiction as their superheroes used to have opium as part of their culture.
Similarly, khairwa tribe in Madhya Pradesh is on verge of extinction due to the fact that their
young population is unable to conceive. According to them, the curse of their mother goddess
prevent them from conceive while the actual cause is rampant spread of syphilis among their
group. Secondly, non availability of food within household and unawareness about the
wholesome diet for living a healthy lifestyle, which can be solved by providing them, fortified
flour. Thirdly, the improper post natal care, unhospitalized deliveries and no access to
vaccination leads to high infant mortality rate among tribes. The sanitation and safe drinking
water can be achieved by providing sanitary napkin to women and implanting bio sand filters
respectively. It is important to conduct studies on the food habits, nourishment and sanitation
practices of the tribals. It will assist the authorities to take reasonable measures to improve the
health status of tribal women.

KEYWORDS: Tribal, Syphilis, Superstition, Nourishment, Sanitation, Malnutrition.

CASUAL FACTORS OF WOMEN HEALTH PROBLEMS

Poor health status of tribes in India is a cause of several interlinked factors. Basu (2000)
has reported several reasons for the ill health condition of tribes in India. Unsanitary
conditions, ignorance, lack of personal hygiene and health education are the main causal
factors for prevalence of health problems among tribes. According to Balgir (2006), lack of
proper health education, poverty, faulty feeding habits and irrational beliefs results in the
poor health condition of the tribes in India. Ghosh and Malik (2009) have reported that
widespread poverty. Illiteracy, malnutrition, the absence of safe drinking water and
sanitary and living conditions, poor maternal and child health services are possible
contributing factors to miserable health conditions of the tribal population. Balgir (2011)
reported the diverse factors of health problems among the tribes. Poor sanitation and
hygiene, poverty, perception about the diseases, health-seeking behavior, hostile
environment and blind beliefs are the main contributing factors to poor health condition
and prevalence of high morbidity among them. Sachdev (2012) has also reported the more
or less similar kind of causal factors for the poor health condition of the tribes in
Rajasthan. Ignorance, unawareness resulting in malnutrition, lack of nearby government
hospitals, scarcity of safe drinking water and electricity are the main reasons for the poor
health status of tribes of the state. There are numerous other studies which have mentioned
about the more or less similar kind of reasons for poor and ill health conditions of tribes in
the country.

1. Bano, Zenab (2002), “Tribal Women : The Gender Issues”, SAJOSPS, Vol. 3, No. 1, July-December, pp. 24-28 Page
2. Bhasim, Veena. (2007): Status of Tribal Women in India, Stud. Home Comm. Sci., Vol.1(1): 1-16.
3. https://www.tribal.nic.in/ST/StatisticalProfileofSTs2013.pdf
4. http://tribalhealthreport.in/
HEALTH CARE BELIEF AND PRACTICES
Every society has its own sets of belief, custom, tradition, knowledge and practices related
to health and illness. Tribal people have their system of health care which is built upon
their own belief. The tribals have a strong traditional system of medicine. But the recent
empirical evidence indicates that the tribal indigenous health practices are on degrading
track (Azeez & Sebastian, 2016; Sebastian & Azeez, 2014). Most of the tribe believes in
supernatural power and magico-religious system of health care. C.S. Negi et al. (2002)
mentioned that tribes live in harmony with the nature and their surroundings. The Raji
people in the study have their dependency on 50 different species of herbal plants for
curing the physical ailments. Most of the Raji people of Kumaon Himalaya do have the
knowledge about these plants and the usage is only restricted to traditional health
practitioners. It was also reported that most of the Raji people depend on these herbal
plants for the treatment. Their knowledge and belief in the herbal plants or nature or
surroundings is being shared and transferred from one generation to another generation and
so the ethno biological knowledge is maintained. Their dependency on the herbal treatment
is due to unavailability of health care services in the village and nearby areas and their
belief and conviction in the herbal treatment for centuries. Uniyal et al. (2006) in their
study on traditional uses of medicinal plants by the tribal communities in ChhotaBhangal
reported that absence of modern health care system made them to depend on medicinal
plants for treatment of diseases. Bhangalis uses all together 35 different plants for curing
the diseases. Of all the underground parts of the plants is used for curing the various
diseases followed by leaves and aerial parts of the plants. The diseases of all sort is cured
(almost 21 diseases) by the plants.

Diseases like stomach-ache to jaundice and even kidney stones were treated by using these
plants. Balgir (2006) in his study reported that tribal being the forest dwellers for centuries
had developed the rich tradition of the health care system, i.e., traditional health care
system. They largely depend on the herbs and psychosomatic lines of treatment for their
various physical ailments. In their treatment, plants, flowers, seeds and animals and other
natural available products or substances formed the major portion of their traditional health
care system. Faith healing formed the central part of traditional health care. They largely
depend and belief on magico-religious rites and custom for treatment of any ailments.
There has always been a connection between the common beliefs, customs, values and
practices related to health and diseases. He has further mentioned that tribal communities
do have a wealth of folklore associated with health beliefs which provide the appropriate
health practices in a given ecosystem.

In their study Shukla, Chakarvarty and Gautam (2008) found that there are altogether 23
different species of plants used for several gynecological diseases among the tribes of
Chattisgarh. Sikdar and Dutta (2008) reported that Nath community of Assam uses 62
plants for different medicinal purposes. Different parts of the plants are used for the
treatment of different diseases. Women are having the exposure to these plants and the
traditions of this ethnomedicinal treatment are being transmitted from one generation to
another. They are still far away from modern health care system due to its unavailability or
1. Bano, Zenab (2002), “Tribal Women : The Gender Issues”, SAJOSPS, Vol. 3, No. 1, July-December, pp. 24-28 Page
2. Bhasim, Veena. (2007): Status of Tribal Women in India, Stud. Home Comm. Sci., Vol.1(1): 1-16.
3. https://www.tribal.nic.in/ST/StatisticalProfileofSTs2013.pdf
4. http://tribalhealthreport.in/
inaccessibility. Balgir (2011) mentioned that tribes in Chhattisgarh mostly believe in
benevolent and malevolent spirits which control their daily routine activities of life and
these beliefs also affect their health practices. They do believe and prefer to visit local
religious-magical practitioners in case of any illness. These priests perform the ritual more
preferably sacrificing an animal to cure or appease the God or any ill-spirit.

According to Mishra, Kusuma&Babu (2013) Santals people have their set notions and
belief about the health and illness. Health for Santals is when body works without any
defunct. For the absence of any disease such as fever, the body can be term as in good
health. They believed that illness is caused by several agents, for example, supernatural
powers, physical and non-supernatural sources and contagious agents of illness. Santals
people still have the belief that if god or spirits of ancestors are an unpleased or evil eye is
there; it causes the illness which can only be cured by traditional healers. In another
category of causative factors of illness is when there is a breach of natural laws that can
also cause disease or illness. Santals people also believe that touching the clothes or food
of ill person can also cause certain illness. N. Prakash et al. (2014) study showed that
Rongmei tribe of Manipur uses the 60 different species of plants to cure the illness or any
physical ailments. They know different herbs and shrubs or plants which can be used as
medicine to cure the ailments. The various parts of the plants which are used for treatment
are rich in antioxidants, nutrition and energy, etc.

Islary (2014) reported illness among the tribes of India is supposed to be the result of
breaching the trust either by omission or by the commission of an act by an individual,
family or society which result in displeasing the spirit of ancestors or Gods. The spirits or
Gods or causing agents of illness are pleased through certain rituals such as offering them
ghee or meat or liquor. It has been further found that tribal people are adopting the
allopathic treatment in parallel to their traditional system of medicine. Tribal people's
health-seeking behavior is also a result of their belief, traditions and customs. Dutt, Bhagat
and Pandita (2015) in their study with Gaddi Tribe of J&K found that tribal people have
the vast knowledge of the ethnomedicine. The Gaddi used a total of 190 species of
medicinal plants for treatment of various ailments and diseases. The vast knowledge of
traditional medicine remains with the older experienced people while the younger one is in
the process of learning. Mahapatro and Kalla (2000) reported that tribal women (Bhattara
women) give importance to the home remedy for the treatment of any sickness. Women
are suffered from a number of diseases such as gynecological disease, leprosy, TB, anemia,
goiter, scabies, gastroenteritis, etc. They generally believe the causes of any type of disease
is the ill-spirit and tried to take out the evil spirit from the body of a sick person which is
done by the old lady of the household. Bhattarai women used to visit desire, local medicine
men for treatment instead of any health practitioners. They used to appease the evil spirit
through some rituals.

Kumar (2017) revealed that Irula people suffered from both short and long-term diseases.
They believe that short-term disease is caused by some physical factors such as rain and
climate, whereas the long-term illness is caused by the supernatural powers due to
unavailability of road, Irulas used to visit the local or traditional healers for treatment of

1. Bano, Zenab (2002), “Tribal Women : The Gender Issues”, SAJOSPS, Vol. 3, No. 1, July-December, pp. 24-28 Page
2. Bhasim, Veena. (2007): Status of Tribal Women in India, Stud. Home Comm. Sci., Vol.1(1): 1-16.
3. https://www.tribal.nic.in/ST/StatisticalProfileofSTs2013.pdf
4. http://tribalhealthreport.in/
diseases which is done by giving some herbs and observing some devotional pujas and
rituals. Ballabh and Chaurasia (2007) while studying the Botto People of Ladakh regarding
the traditional medicine used in cold cough and fever found that fifty-six different species
of plants are being used for the treatment of cold, cough and fever. The healthcare system
of Botto people is based on Amchi system; a Tibetan system of medicine and health. It was
further reported that thirty-four different combinations with minerals or rock salts are used
for treatment. Various parts of the plants are being used in the treatment of the illness.

Physiological Status NPNL P L

Sample size 362 78 295

Micronutrient Status
Calcium mg/d 400 1000 334
RDA 33 55 1000
Dietary Deficiency 29.02 20 18.99
Iron mg/d 30 55.02 366
RDA 0.98 236 30
Dietary Deficiency 1562.7 354 11.23
b-carotene mg/d 2400 99.03 1084
RDA (mg) 87 327 23.56
Dietary Deficiency 362 54.367 387

Table 1. Deficiency of key nutrients in comparison to the RDA in Botto People

Another study by Ballabh et al. (2008) showed that 68 medicinal plants were used for the
treatment of diseases such as kidney and urinary disorders among the tribes of Ladakh. The
medicines were used either in tablets form or powder/mixture form.
Bhasin (2003) showed that tribes of Rajasthan believe that diseases, accidents or certain
other calamities are caused by super natural powers. It is believed among the tribes that
lots of diseases or sickness are caused by natural sources and can only be cured by
traditional medical practitioners. It is believed that the manifestation of pox disease in the
human body is the presence of mother goddesses in the form of heat in the body of the ill
person and it can be cured only through observing certain rituals and festivals. The aothet
sickness which is believed to be the wrath of supernatural power, i.e., typhoid. It is
believed that if ‗Thakurbaba' is not worshipped properly, it may result in typhoid. The evil
eye is also considered as another reason for the ill health of a person and it is widely being
believed among the tribes. The tribal people usually prefer traditional practitioners such as
spiritists (Bhopas), and Traditional Herbalists (Jaankar/Jaangar). Several other studies have
also shown that the tribal belief in supernatural power or evil spirit for casing the illness
and diseases and largely believe on traditional or local system of health care for their
treatment (Jain and Agarwal, 2005; Katewa, Chaudhary and Jain, 2004; Raj Pramukh and
Palkumar 2006; Sharma et al. 2012; Singh 2014).

1. Bano, Zenab (2002), “Tribal Women : The Gender Issues”, SAJOSPS, Vol. 3, No. 1, July-December, pp. 24-28 Page
2. Bhasim, Veena. (2007): Status of Tribal Women in India, Stud. Home Comm. Sci., Vol.1(1): 1-16.
3. https://www.tribal.nic.in/ST/StatisticalProfileofSTs2013.pdf
4. http://tribalhealthreport.in/
RECOMMENDED MEASURES

Nutritional deficiencies are rampant in India. The National Family Health Survey-3 has noted
high levels of anaemia among both women and men in the state, in addition to registering very
high rates of stunting and wasting. That’s because a typical home-cooked meal here is
imbalanced: it includes high quantities of cereal – that are cheap and provide energy – and very
little pulses and fruits and vegetables, which are rich sources of vitamins and minerals, critical
for proper growth and building immunity.

“Considering that the diets of these population groups are not diversified, provision of staple
foods, such as wheat, oil and milk, that have been fortified with vitamins and minerals has been
recognised as one of the best ways of improving the overall health indicators of a population.
Not only is food fortification easy and cost-effective for the food producers to implement, it is
also an inexpensive way to provide good nutrition to the consumers, too. This is one way of
ensuring that people get sufficient vitamins and minerals through their diets, to improve their
health in a short period of time,” points out Deepti Gulati, Senior Associate, GAIN.

Conclusion

Tribal health is a matter of grave concern not only because of its severity or poor condition
but also due to traditional health care system which is only present and practiced among
the tribes in India. Culture plays a very crucial role in determining the shape of the social
life of any community including the concept of health and illness. Tribal culture and their
belief in certain things make the concept of health and illness very interesting and a matter
of great concern and priority. Tribal people find themselves in very close and proximate
relationship with the environment. Their close relationship with the environment probably
makes them believe in the supernatural power or God or Goddesses. Hence they do believe
in the certain super natural power and physical forces about health and illness. Evil eye, ill-
spirit, the spirit of ancestors, natural reasons are considered to be among the various
reasons for poor health conditions of any person. Appeasement of ill spirit or spirit of
ancestors becomes an integral part of tribal health care system. They used to visit the local
medicine men or traditional healers for any sort of minor or major health problems.
Various development initiatives of govt. Though has significantly impacted the traditional
system of medicine among the tribes yet it has come a long way to reshape and mainstream
the tribal population at large. India has a great reservoir of traditional knowledge
particularly in concern with health and health care. The most of traditional knowledge of
health lies with the indigenous population of the country; hence amidst of globalization
and rapid change of society, it becomes necessary for us to save this traditional pool of
knowledge by preserving and documenting them for the future c

1. Bano, Zenab (2002), “Tribal Women : The Gender Issues”, SAJOSPS, Vol. 3, No. 1, July-December, pp. 24-28 Page
2. Bhasim, Veena. (2007): Status of Tribal Women in India, Stud. Home Comm. Sci., Vol.1(1): 1-16.
3. https://www.tribal.nic.in/ST/StatisticalProfileofSTs2013.pdf
4. http://tribalhealthreport.in/
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Basu, S. K.(1993). Tribal Health in India (Bdited). Manak Publishers, New Delhi (in press).

Census of India (1971). Female age at marriage, Series 1, paper 4.

Chauhan, Abha (1990). Tribal women and social change in India. A.C. Brothers, Etawah.

Madan, T.N. (1951). Education of tribal India. Eastern Anthropologist Vol. V (4) pp. 179-82.

Tekhre, Y.L. (1989). Impact of family welfare programme on tribal women. Ph. D. thesis
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1. Bano, Zenab (2002), “Tribal Women : The Gender Issues”, SAJOSPS, Vol. 3, No. 1, July-December, pp. 24-28 Page
2. Bhasim, Veena. (2007): Status of Tribal Women in India, Stud. Home Comm. Sci., Vol.1(1): 1-16.
3. https://www.tribal.nic.in/ST/StatisticalProfileofSTs2013.pdf
4. http://tribalhealthreport.in/
 AUTHOR – SHRUTI VERMA (2019BALLB22)

NATIONAL LAW INSTITUTE UNIVERSITY, BHOPAL

1. Bano, Zenab (2002), “Tribal Women : The Gender Issues”, SAJOSPS, Vol. 3, No. 1, July-December, pp. 24-28 Page
2. Bhasim, Veena. (2007): Status of Tribal Women in India, Stud. Home Comm. Sci., Vol.1(1): 1-16.
3. https://www.tribal.nic.in/ST/StatisticalProfileofSTs2013.pdf
4. http://tribalhealthreport.in/
1. Bano, Zenab (2002), “Tribal Women : The Gender Issues”, SAJOSPS, Vol. 3, No. 1, July-December, pp. 24-28 Page
2. Bhasim, Veena. (2007): Status of Tribal Women in India, Stud. Home Comm. Sci., Vol.1(1): 1-16.
3. https://www.tribal.nic.in/ST/StatisticalProfileofSTs2013.pdf
4. http://tribalhealthreport.in/