Health and Nutrition Profile of Tribals of Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh

Central India, which constitutes mainly of Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and its adjoining area, holds 23% of the total population of the country. Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh has about 46 Scheduled Tribes of which 7 of them are declared as primitive tribes. The primitive tribes are Saharias of Chambal division, Bharias of Patalkot, Baigas of Baigachak area, Hill Korbas and Birhors of Sarguja, Kamars of Raipur and Abujhmarias of Bastar. Due to different socio-cultural milieu, different diseases are prevailing among them. However, some of the diseases are common among all these primitive tribes: like acute respiratory infections, sexually transmitted diseases, diarrhoeal diseases and nutritional disorders are common among all these tribes. Some of the genetic disorders like sickle cell anaemia, thalassaemia are restricted to their clan because of consanguineous marriages. Baiga tribe has highest prevalence (22%) of Sickle cell disease, followed by Abujhmaria tribe (17%) and Bharia tribe (13.7%). Sickle cell anaemia was absent among Saharia, Hill Korba, Kamar and Birhor tribes. Thalassaemia was commonly seen among the Hill Korba (10%), Saharia (8.7%) and Kamar (7 %) tribe, while thalassaemia was absent among Abujhmaria, Baiga and Bharia tribe. G6PD deficiency was seen among all these tribes except Birhors. About 21% of the Birhor pre-school children were severely malnourished followed by Kamar (10%), Saharia and Bharia (9%), Abujhmaria (8%) and Baiga (7%) children. Hookworm infestation was 27% among Abujhmarias followed by Baigas 13% and 7% among the Bharias. Nutritional anaemia ranged from 30% to 100% among 6-14 years children of these tribes. Recent study carried out in the Bijadandi block revealed that Iron deficiency anaemia was 94% among the tribal adolescent girls. Some of the tribes also had different diseases, which are restricted to some specific geographical area. Yaws was restricted to Abujhmarias of Bastar only. The prevalence reduced from 70/1000 in 1987 to 9/1000 in 1997 after three Penicillin campaign and it is now on the verge elimination. Similarly Goitre was restricted among the Bharias living in the Patalkote Valley only. The visible Goitre rate among more 15 years age was 51% in 1998 which reduced 11.6% in 1993 after specific Iodised salt supplementation programme. Sexually transmitted disease (Syphilis) was restricted to Khairwar tribe of Sidhi district. About 64% of the blood samples were VDRL positive. Overall filariasis rate was 7.5% in Panna district. Sputum positive tuberculosis was 12/1000 among the Saharia tribes of Karhal block. In recent times fluorosis has emerged as a new public health among the tribals of Madhya Pradesh. In Mandla district (Tilaipani village) dental mottling (74%) and genuvalgum (52%) was seen in children and young adults of less 20 yrs of age. Fifty percent drinking water sources of Mandla and Dindori district had high fluoride contamination. 198 Proceeding of National Symposium on Tribal Health The paper highlights that there are few diseases, which are common to all the tribes, which can be managed with common programme, and area/tribe specific problems needs to be addressed separately.