Hyderabad, Jan 16 (NationPress) Tribal Affairs Minister Jual Oram emphasized a national effort to officially acknowledge and involve tribal healers as vital contributors within the public health framework, as reported by an official.

During the Capacity Building Programme for Tribal Healers on Enhancing Health Outreach in Tribal Regions, Oram remarked that even the colonial era could not diminish India's indigenous medicinal practices that have been preserved through generations.

Sharing his own experiences, he pointed out the efficacy of traditional healing practices to the audience, which included nearly 400 tribal healers from various parts of the country, as stated in the official release.

He stressed that expert-led technical sessions from AIIMS Delhi, AIIMS Jodhpur, ICMR Bhubaneswar, WHO, the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, the Ministry of AYUSH, and the All India Institute of Ayurveda would significantly improve the technical expertise and service delivery capabilities of tribal healers.

The Minister urged states to seek market connections and collaborations with FMCG and pharmaceutical firms to create job opportunities centered around traditional medicine.

He reiterated the Ministry's ongoing commitment to tackling tribal health inequalities through initiatives like the National Sickle Cell Anaemia Elimination Mission, PM-JANMAN, and Dharti Aaba Janjatiya Gram Utkarsh Abhiyan (DAJGUA).

Tribal Affairs Secretary Ranjana Chopra highlighted the crucial role of tribal healers in mainstreaming community-driven health solutions.

She noted that these strategies are cost-effective, sustainable, and rooted in local realities.

Pointing to the ongoing issues with communicable diseases like malaria, tuberculosis, and leprosy in various tribal districts, she called for a focused effort to eradicate these diseases from endemic tribal regions.

Additional Secretary Manish Thakur remarked that tribal healers possess generations of trust and social credibility within their communities.

He emphasized that the Ministry now sees tribal healers as collaborative partners in its health initiatives, especially in preventive care, early illness detection, and timely referrals.

He noted that geographic, cultural, and systemic barriers still hinder tribal communities' access to formal healthcare, and that engaging trusted healers could greatly enhance last-mile service delivery.

Durgadas Uikey, Minister of State for Tribal Affairs, stated that Scheduled Tribes are integral to the vision of Viksit Bharat.

While communicable and non-communicable diseases persist in tribal regions, he acknowledged that tribal communities have retained a wealth of traditional medicinal knowledge and nature-centric living practices.

Highlighting the emergence of lifestyle diseases such as hypertension, diabetes, and cancer, he advocated for a comprehensive strategy that combines ancient wisdom, modern science, technology, and welfare schemes.

He observed that the sustainable lifestyles of tribal communities provide valuable insights into resilience, immunity, and responsible consumption for society at large.

The session on the Orientation of Tribal Healers to Public Health Systems, conducted by Kannan P., Consultant at the National Health Systems Resource Centre (NHSRC), Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, illustrated the continuum of care from Sub-Centres to District Hospitals and identified tribal healers as essential links to bridge trust, navigation, and referral gaps.

A global perspective was shared during the session on Global Case Studies in Strengthening Health Services Outreach through Tribal Healers, presented by Dr. Dilip Singh Mairembam, National Professional Officer at WHO. International insights underscored the significance of clearly defined roles, cultural safety, and functional referral pathways, affirming the effectiveness of engaging healers as community mobilizers and referral agents.