The Ministry of Tribal Affairs in collaboration with ICMR-National Institute of Health Research (ICMR-NIHR), Bhubaneswar organized the first National Orientation Programme for Tribal Healers on Public Health on November 1-2, 2026 at Kanha Shanti Vanam, Hyderabad. This initiative was conducted under the Janjatiya Health Institutional Transformation (JanHIT) program and was launched during the Janjatiya Gaurav Diwas Pakhwada.
The programme was inaugurated by Shri Manish Thakur, Additional Secretary of Ministry of Tribal Affairs, and Dr. Sanghamitra Pati, Director of ICMR-NIHR, Bhubaneswar. The event was attended by Shri B. M. Santosh, IAS, Special Secretary and Director of Tribal Welfare, Telangana, and Dr. V. Samujwala, Director of Tribal Cultural Research & Training Institute (TCR&TI), Telangana, along with other senior officials from both organizations.
Approximately 550 tribal healers nominated by State Tribal Welfare departments from nine states and union territories participated in the first phase, including representatives from Andhra Pradesh, Goa, Karnataka, Keralam, Maharashtra, Odisha, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, and Dadra and Nagar Haveli. The orientation programme aimed to educate tribal healers on key public health issues, strengthen their understanding of common diseases, improve early identification of danger signs, and establish appropriate referral systems for timely medical care.
The two-day programme covered three comprehensive training modules addressing communicable and vector-borne diseases, skin diseases, non-communicable diseases, metabolic and blood disorders, liver diseases, and mental health conditions. Additional sessions focused on appropriate referral protocols for snakebites, scorpion and other stings, animal bites, injuries, eye and ear disorders, oral health, and newborn and infant care. The training included integrated practice sessions, review sessions, post-training assessments, and participant feedback mechanisms.
To ensure effective communication, the programme provided state-wise training sessions conducted in regional languages. Experts from multiple institutions including AIIMS, ICMR, Quality Control of India, MS Swaminathan Foundation, Amrita Institute Kochi, IIHMR Bengaluru, and Piramal Swasthya Maharashtra delivered sessions in respective regional languages.
The programme concluded on November 2, 2026 with a closing ceremony and distribution of certificates to participants. This initiative represents a structured capacity-building module developed by ICMR-NIHR, Bhubaneswar with support from the Ministry of Tribal Affairs, aiming to integrate tribal healthcare practices with formal medical systems.