In an effort to address the healthcare needs of tribal students, the ministries of AYUSH and Tribal Affairs joined forces on Wednesday to launch a health screening and management initiative employing Ayurvedic interventions.
Led by the AYUSH Ministry’s research council CCRAS, in collaboration with the Ministry of Tribal Affairs and ICMR-NIRTH Jabalpur, the project aims to benefit over 20,000 students enrolled in Eklavya Model Residential Schools (EMRS) located in tribal areas.
Union Minister for AYUSH Sarbananda Sonowal and Tribal Affairs Minister Arjun Munda unveiled the initiative, stressing its role in catering to the health needs of children in EMRS. Sonowal emphasized the importance of achieving a disease-free nation to realize India’s self-reliance goals, highlighting the focus on addressing prevalent health issues among tribal populations. The initiative particularly targets challenges such as malnutrition, iron deficiency anemia, and sickle cell diseases through Ayurvedic interventions.
The project is designed to target students aged 10 to 18 years enrolled in classes 6th to 12th across 55 identified EMRS in 14 states. Munda underscored the initiative’s significance in promoting healthy lifestyle practices among children, rooted in Ayurvedic principles. He emphasized the integration of medicinal plant gardens into schools to instill awareness among future generations about the importance of traditional medicines in fostering health and well-being.
The collaboration between the AYUSH and Tribal Affairs ministries, initiated through a Memorandum of Understanding signed in October 2022, seeks to explore avenues for collaboration, convergence, and synergy for tribal development. As part of this partnership, CCRAS has already established 72 Poshan Vatikas (medicinal plant gardens) in EMRS across 20 states, laying the groundwork for holistic health initiatives in tribal communities.