The Ministry of Tribal Affairs has organised a national public-health orientation programme for approximately 550 tribal healers from nine states and Union Territories, aiming to improve health awareness and strengthen connections between traditional community practices and the formal healthcare system.
The two-day programme was held on November 1 and 2, 2026, at Kanha Shanti Vanam in Hyderabad. It was organised in collaboration with the ICMR–National Institute of Health Research (ICMR-NIHR), Bhubaneswar, under the Janjatiya Health Institutional Transformation (JanHIT) initiative.
Editorial Insight
Key Highlights
Important points readers should notice.
Issue/Event: National public-health orientation programme for tribal healers.
Location: India.
Authority/Organisation: Ministry of Tribal Affairs and ICMR–National Institute of Health Research.
Action Taken: Around 550 tribal healers received orientation on common diseases, health warning signs and appropriate medical referral practices.
Impact: The initiative aims to improve community-level health awareness and strengthen connections between tribal communities and formal healthcare services.
The programme was inaugurated by Manish Thakur, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Tribal Affairs, and Dr Sanghamitra Pati, Director of ICMR-NIHR, in the presence of senior officials from the Telangana government and participating institutions.
The first phase included around 550 tribal healers nominated by State Tribal Welfare departments from Andhra Pradesh, Goa, Karnataka, Kerala, Maharashtra, Odisha, Tamil Nadu, Telangana and Dadra and Nagar Haveli.
The initiative recognises the role that traditional healers can play within tribal communities, where they may be among the familiar local sources of health-related guidance. The programme aims to improve their understanding of common diseases, early warning signs and situations requiring timely medical attention.
Editorial Analysis
Why This Matters
In several tribal communities, traditional healers are familiar and accessible figures who may be approached for health-related guidance. Improving their understanding of health warning signs can help encourage earlier medical consultation and appropriate referrals. The programme is also significant because it recognises the importance of delivering public-health education in languages and formats that participants can understand. For communities facing geographical or communication barriers to healthcare, stronger links between local community representatives and formal medical services can support timely access to professional care.
The training covered communicable and vector-borne diseases, skin conditions, non-communicable diseases, metabolic and blood disorders, liver diseases and mental health conditions.
Participants were also oriented on appropriate referral practices for snakebites, scorpion and other stings, animal bites, injuries, eye and ear disorders, oral health concerns and newborn and infant care.
An important element of the programme was to help participants understand when a health problem requires assessment and treatment through qualified medical professionals. The initiative seeks to strengthen cooperation between community-level traditional practices and the formal healthcare system rather than treating traditional healing as a replacement for medical treatment.
The programme included three training modules, integrated practice sessions, review activities, a post-training assessment and participant feedback. These activities were intended to reinforce learning and assess the effectiveness of the orientation.
To make the sessions accessible, training arrangements included regional languages for participants from different states. Experts from institutions including AIIMS, ICMR, Quality Council of India, MS Swaminathan Foundation, Amrita Institute in Kochi, IIHMR Bengaluru and Piramal Swasthya were involved in delivering sessions.
The programme concluded on November 2 with a closing ceremony and distribution of certificates to participants.
The initiative is part of a broader effort to improve healthcare awareness and access in tribal communities. Better recognition of health warning signs and appropriate referral can help people seek medical attention sooner, particularly in areas where access to formal healthcare services may involve long distances.
The Ministry's initiative also highlights the importance of culturally accessible health education and cooperation with community representatives when designing public-health interventions.
However, the orientation programme should not be interpreted as granting participants medical licences or authorising them to independently diagnose or treat diseases. Its stated purpose is to improve public-health awareness and encourage appropriate referral to formal healthcare services.
