Tribal health in India

Tribal people are influenced by socio cultural and environmental dimensions in their healing practices. Since the tribals associate sickness, death and good health with blessing or curse of the deities worshipped by them, appeasement of the gods/goddesses and destruction of evil spirits form the major part of their health care system. Practitioners of modern medicine no longer reject these as mumbo jumbo. They are having a second look at the inherent psycho-somatic and socio-cultural impact of such rites and rituals on the healing system.

In the book Dr. Neeti Mahanti examines traditional health care in retrospect and recommends an integrated system of modern and tribal medicine. Dr. Bhupinder Singh discusses specific diseases afflicting tribals, tribal genetics, tribal and traditional medicine, family planning and welfare, health care and delivery systems. Tribal women form the subject matter of five articles. Prof. Shridhar Sharma focuses on human rights and mental illness. Dr. Almas Ali examines health care planning in tribal districts of Orissa. Dr. M.L. Patel throws light on awareness of tribal health and medical care in Madhya Pradesh. Shri R.P. Palekar writes on health care and delivery system of tribals of Karjat, Maharashtra. Dr. K.Ramaswamy describes the good work done by the Nilgiri Adivasi Welfare Association. Genetic disorders and other health problems are covered in four

chapters. This book deserves special attention of health planners, policy makers, medical research institutions, research scholars and NGOs working in the field of bio-mdical anthropology as a source of vital information.