Morbidity Pattern of Tribes in Kerala

Tribes are the aboriginal inhabitants of our country who have been living in alife based on the natural environment and have cultural patterns congenial to their physical and social environment. They are the poorest; most marginalized, oppressed, and deprived people in the country. India has the second largest tribal population in the world after Africa( Richard Scaria et.al 2013).Though Kerala has achieved outstanding progress in human development its health status presents a picture of low overall mortality co-existing with considerable morbidity, mostly caused by diseases linked to underdevelopment, poverty and diseases of affluence.(Panickar and Soman 1999). Continuous reports from newspapers show that tribes in Kerala underwent serious health issues. Recent change in land use pattern and land alienation has adversely affected their traditional livelihood leading to food insecurity (Rajasenan et.al 2013). Poverty, lack of cleanliness, infrastructure inadequacy, coupled with various health problems add fuel to fire.