The Ministry of Tribal Affairs has set a national target to recognize one lakh tribal healers and involve them as community partners to enhance healthcare services in tribal regions. This initiative aims to strengthen health outreach in collaboration with the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, ICMR-RMRC BB, and the Ministry of AYUSH. State-level mechanisms and health frameworks under relevant ministries are responsible for identifying and recognizing these healers.
In a recent capacity-building program in Hyderabad, the Ministry facilitated the training of tribal healers to improve health services in tribal areas. The program saw participation from 50 tribal healers from Maharashtra, selected from a list of 500 forwarded by state governments. The Ministry, along with the Indian Council of Medical Research – Regional Medical Research Centre, is working on structured training programs for tribal healers focusing on preventive care and early intervention.
Efforts are being made to protect indigenous tribal medical knowledge and prevent its misuse by state governments through documentation and safeguarding intellectual rights. The Ministry has developed a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for capacity-building programs, emphasizing ethical practices and respect for traditional knowledge systems.
