New Delhi, Feb 20 (PTI) A national-level project for 20,000 tribal students’ health screening and management through Ayurvedic interventions will be launched by Union Ministers Sarbananda Sonowal and Arjun Munda here on Wednesday.
The project aims to screen the general health condition of students enrolled in classes six to 12. The screening will be carried out at 55 Ekalavya Model Residential Schools in 14 states, according to an official statement.
The Ayush Ministry, through its research council CCRAS, has taken this initiative for tribal students in collaboration with the Ministry of Tribal Affairs and ICMR-National Institute of Research In Tribal Health, Jabalpur, it said.
During the screening, special focus would be on anaemia, haemoglobinopathies, malnutrition and tuberculosis.
Efforts will be made to inculcate healthy lifestyle practices among the students as per the principles of Ayurveda. Also, an integrated approach will be made for the management of the diseases, the statement said.
The intervention will be carried out by 16 peripheral units of the Central Council for Research in Ayurvedic Sciences (CCRAS), Ayush Ministry, Government of India and ICMR-National Institute of Research in Tribal Health, Jabalpur, in collaboration with the Ministry of Tribal Affairs.
A Memorandum of Understanding was signed between the Ministry of Ayush and the Ministry of Tribal Affairs in October 2022 to explore the areas of collaboration, convergence and synergy for tribal development.
Accordingly, the CCRAS developed 72 Poshan Vatikas in EMRS of 20 states. CCRAS Institutes also participated in the mega health camps during Janajati Mahotsav at Saraikela in Jharkhand, the statement said.
Tribal health in India is still an area of concern after more than seven decades of Independence. Despite commendable efforts, there are several obstacles that hinder the successful delivery of healthcare services to these underserved populations.
The tribal population of the country, as per the 2011 census, is 10.43 crore, constituting 8.6 per cent of the total population. Moreover, 89.97 per cent of the tribal population live in rural areas and 10.03 per cent in urban areas, the statement said. PTI PLB NSD NSD
