Centre Launches First National Capacity Building Programme for Tribal Healers

The programme marks a first-of-its-kind national initiative, aligned with the vision of the Hon’ble Prime Minister to build a Viksit Bharat through inclusive development, last-mile service delivery, and community participation.

In a landmark step towards inclusive and community-led healthcare, the Ministry of Tribal Affairs (MoTA), Government of India, today hosted a national Capacity Building Programme for Tribal Healers at Kanha Shanti Vanam, Hyderabad, formally recognising tribal healers as collaborative partners in India’s public health ecosystem.

The programme marks a first-of-its-kind national initiative, aligned with the vision of the Hon’ble Prime Minister to build a Viksit Bharat through inclusive development, last-mile service delivery, and community participation.

High-Level Participation from Centre and States

The inaugural plenary session was attended by Shri Jual Oram, Union Minister of Tribal Affairs; Shri Durgadas Uikey, Minister of State for Tribal Affairs; Shri Adluri Laxman Kumar, Minister for Tribal Welfare, Government of Telangana; Shri Balaram Naik, Member of Parliament from Mahabubabad; senior Government of India officials; representatives from leading medical and research institutions; state government officials; and around 400 tribal healers from across the country.

Tribal Healers as Partners in Public Health

Addressing the gathering, Shri Manish Thakur, Additional Secretary, MoTA, said tribal healers command deep-rooted trust and social legitimacy within their communities and can play a transformative role in preventive care, early identification of illness, and timely referrals.

He noted that geographical isolation, cultural barriers, and systemic constraints continue to limit tribal communities’ access to formal healthcare, and that the engagement of trusted healers can significantly strengthen last-mile health outreach.

Smt. Ranjana Chopra, Secretary, Ministry of Tribal Affairs, highlighted the importance of community-based and community-led health solutions, describing them as cost-effective, sustainable, and locally grounded. She called for a final push to eliminate communicable diseases such as malaria, tuberculosis and leprosy from endemic tribal districts.

Interacting with tribal healers from Odisha, Maharashtra and Rajasthan, she noted their aspirations for formal recognition, dignity, inter-generational knowledge transfer, and the preservation of rare medicinal plants and herbs. She announced that the Ministry has set a target to formally recognise and enable one lakh tribal healers as partners in strengthening tribal health services.

Linking Health, Infrastructure and Tribal Development

Shri Balaram Naik, MP from Mahabubabad, observed that diseases such as tuberculosis remain prevalent in tribal areas due to lifestyle factors, including tobacco use. He said investments in schools, hospitals, hostels and social infrastructure have improved awareness, but stressed the need for further investment in roads, education and healthcare to accelerate tribal development and poverty reduction.

Shri Adluri Laxman Kumar, Telangana’s Tribal Welfare Minister, highlighted the state’s tribal diversity, comprising 33 recognised tribes such as the Gonds, Koyas, Chenchus, Kolams and Konda Reddis. He emphasised strengthening Primary Health Centres, Community Health Centres and Sub-Health Centres in tribal-dominated regions and called for stronger articulation of state-level priorities at the national level.

Integrating Traditional Wisdom with Modern Health Systems

Shri Durgadas Uikey, Minister of State for Tribal Affairs, said Scheduled Tribes are central to the vision of Viksit Bharat. While communicable and non-communicable diseases continue to affect tribal areas, he noted that tribal communities have preserved rich traditional medical knowledge and sustainable lifestyles.

Highlighting the rise of lifestyle diseases such as diabetes, hypertension and cancer, he called for an integrated approach combining ancient wisdom, modern science, technology and welfare schemes, adding that tribal lifestyles offer valuable lessons in resilience, immunity and responsible consumption.

National Tribal Health Observatory Launched

A major highlight of the programme was the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Ministry of Tribal Affairs and ICMR–Regional Medical Research Centre, Bhubaneswar, for the establishment of India’s first National Tribal Health Observatory—the Bharat Tribal Health Observatory (B-THO)—under Project DRISTI.

The initiative will institutionalise tribe-disaggregated health surveillance, implementation research and disease elimination strategies, with a focus on malaria, tuberculosis and leprosy, addressing a long-standing gap in tribal-specific health data and evidence-based planning.

Role of Knowledge, Spiritual Wellness and Sustainability

In a reflective session, Pujya Daaji, Global Guide of Heartfulness and President, Shri Ram Chandra Mission, emphasised the importance of structured knowledge transmission to prevent the loss of indigenous healing wisdom. He said tribal development must go beyond health services to include livelihood security, environmental sustainability and overall well-being.

He cautioned against attempts to “modernise” tribal healers, advocating instead for recognition, protection and celebration of indigenous knowledge systems, while ensuring respectful inter-generational transmission.

Technical Sessions Highlight Evidence-Based Approaches

The programme featured a series of expert-led technical sessions covering:

• Status of Tribal Health in India, highlighting disproportionate disease burden and access challenges

• Tribal Health Research and Observatories, showcasing Odisha’s tribe-disaggregated data models

• Orientation of Tribal Healers to Public Health Systems, positioning healers as connectors and referral agents

• Global Case Studies, presented by WHO, demonstrating effective healer engagement models

• Role of Tribal Healers in Primary Health Care, sharing evidence from national mapping and training initiatives

• Engaging Tribal Healers in Sickle Cell Disease Elimination, aligned with the national goal of elimination by 2047

• Preventive Health Practices, focusing on hygiene, nutrition, ethics and patient safety

Paradigm Shift in Tribal Health Policy

The programme represents a paradigm shift in tribal and indigenous development, positioning tribal healers as community-level health leaders, while anchoring tribal health action in scientific evidence, institutional partnerships and culturally rooted approaches.

It reinforces the Government of India’s commitment to inclusive, evidence-based and sustainable tribal development, integrating tradition with modern public health systems.