Hyderabad, Jan 16 (AHN) Tribal Affairs Minister Jual Oram on Friday highlighted a national initiative to formally recognise and engage tribal healers as collaborative partners within the public health ecosystem, an official said.

Addressing the Capacity Building Programme for Tribal Healers on Strengthening Health Outreach in Tribal Areas, Oram said that even colonial rule could not eradicate India’s indigenous medicinal traditions passed down through generations.

Sharing personal experiences, he highlighted the effectiveness of indigenous healing practices with the participants, including nearly 400 tribal healers from across the country, the official said in a statement.

He noted that technical sessions led by experts 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 enhance the technical knowledge and service delivery capacities of tribal healers.

The Minister encouraged states to explore market linkages and partnerships with FMCG and pharmaceutical companies to generate livelihood opportunities around traditional medicine.

He reiterated the Ministry’s sustained focus on addressing tribal health disparities through initiatives such as the National Sickle Cell Anaemia Elimination Mission, PM-JANMAN, and Dharti Aaba Janjatiya Gram Utkarsh Abhiyan (DAJGUA).

Tribal Affairs Secretary Ranjana Chopra underscored the pivotal role of tribal healers in mainstreaming community-based and community-led health solutions.

She noted that such approaches are cost-effective, sustainable, and grounded in local realities.

Highlighting the continued prevalence of communicable diseases such as malaria, tuberculosis, and leprosy in several tribal districts, she called for a final, targeted push to eliminate these diseases from endemic tribal geographies.

Additional Secretary Manish Thakur said that tribal healers command generations of trust and social legitimacy within their communities.

He emphasised that the Ministry now envisions tribal healers as collaborative partners across its health programmes, particularly in preventive care, early identification of illness, and timely referral.

He highlighted that geographical, cultural, and systemic barriers continue to limit tribal communities’ access to formal healthcare, and that the active engagement of trusted healers can significantly strengthen 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 continue to affect tribal areas, he noted that tribal communities have preserved rich generational knowledge of traditional medicine and nature-based living.

Emphasising the rise of lifestyle diseases such as hypertension, diabetes, and cancer, he called for an integrated approach combining ancient wisdom, modern science, technology, and welfare schemes.

He observed that the sustainable lifestyles of tribal communities offer valuable lessons in resilience, immunity, and responsible consumption for wider society.

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

A global perspective was provided in the session on Global Case Studies in Strengthening Health Services Outreach through Tribal Healers, presented by Dr Dilip Singh Mairembam, National Professional Officer, WHO. International experiences highlighted the importance of clear role definition, cultural safety, and functional referral pathways, reinforcing the effectiveness of engaging healers as community mobilisers and referral agents.