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🩺 Empowering Tribal Health: A Step Toward Inclusive Healthcare for Every Community
National Tribal Health Conclave 2025: Building Bridges to Better Healthcare for India’s Tribal Populations
📍 Conclave at a Glance
Held on 20th January 2025 at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi, the National Tribal Health Conclave brought together experts and stakeholders to address the healthcare challenges of India’s tribal communities.
Organised by the Ministry of Tribal Affairs (MoTA) and the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare (MoH&FW), this event is part of the Dharti Aaba Janjatiya Gram Utkarsh Abhiyan.
🎯 Key Objectives
- 🧩 Explore innovative healthcare delivery models tailored for tribal populations
- 📊 Identify priority areas for research and policy reform
- 🌿 Promote culturally appropriate health strategies to boost health-seeking behaviour
- 🧑⚕️ Strengthen health systems via capacity-building, monitoring, and community engagement
🤝 A Collaborative Mission
MoTA joined hands with:
- 🏥 AIIMS Delhi
- 🧬 MoH&FW
- 🌍 NGOs and healthcare organisations
💡 Letters of Intent were signed to adopt a tribal block in Odisha for field research and localised healthcare programs.
🚀 Major Initiatives Launched
- 🧑🎓 Bhagwan Birsa Munda Chair of Tribal Health and Haematology at AIIMS Delhi
- 🧪 Establishment of 15 Centres of Competence (CoCs) in 14 states for sickle cell anemia diagnosis and care
🧬 Focus on Sickle Cell Anemia (SCD)
What is SCD?
A genetic blood disorder where red blood cells (RBCs) become sickle-shaped instead of disc-shaped.
🩸 Effects on the Body:
- ❌ Rigid, sticky RBCs block blood flow
- 😣 Causes pain, tissue damage, and organ complications
- 🧬 Caused by a mutation in the hemoglobin gene
🧠 Thematic Focus Areas
- 🩻 Telemedicine in remote tribal belts
- 🌿 Integrating traditional healers with formal medicine
- 👩⚕️ Adolescent health and preventive awareness
- 🧠 Mental health and sickle cell disease in tribal communities
📍 Expected Outcomes
✅ A strategic roadmap for improved healthcare in tribal areas
✅ Integration of traditional and modern medicine
✅ Strengthened public health infrastructure
✅ Community-driven and culturally sensitive models for long-term impact