NUTRITIONAL INEQUITIES AND CHALLENGES TO IMPROVE TRIBAL HEALTH IN INDIA: A REVIEW OF SECONDARY SOURCES abstract

Background: There are 705 registered distinct tribal groups, known as indigenous groups or Schedule Tribes (STs), which comprise 8.6% of India’s total population. Various reports and documents assert that the overall nutritional status among the tribals in India is unsatisfactory, and nutritional inequities (negative, unjust, unacceptable inequalities) among them and their counterparts have remained unchanged or amplified. Method: The present paper, putting a rigorous effort, aims to examine the existing literature. A collection of available secondary data on nutrition, nutritional inequities, and challenges to improve tribal health published in reputed journals and databases during the last 16 years (2008-2023) that could be accessed online was considered. Result: After an intensive examination and analysis, four major areas of inequities based on: (A) Socio-economic condition; (B) Connectivity, coverage, & infrastructure; (C) Dietary pattern and nutritional support; and (D) Marginalization and deprivation have been pointed out. Similarly, four major areas of challenges to improve health were recognized and affirmed by many studies and reports. These are: (A) In-tribe differences; (B) Budget allocation; (C) Traditional belief systems & care-seeking behaviour; and (D) Lack of trained manpower and discrimination by the healthcare providers. Conclusion: Finally, the paper concludes by suggesting some measures and policy-level improvisations to enhance the nutritional status leading to better tribal health in India.