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Ministry of AYUSH and Ministry of Tribal Affairs today announced a Joint Initiative on Public Health of Tribal Students. The joint National Level Project of Health Screening and Management through Ayurvedic Interventions will benefit over 20 thousand Tribal Students. The Ministry of Ayush through its research council CCRAS has taken this health Initiative for Tribal Students with the joint initiative of Ministry of Tribal Affairs and ICMR-NIRTH Jabalpur.
Union Minister for AYUSH Sarbananda Sonowal and Tribal Affairs Minister Arjun Munda together announced initiative to address the health needs of children in Eklavya Model Residential Schools across tribal areas through public health initiatives.
Speaking on the occasion, Mr Sonowal said, to make India a self-reliant nation, every Indian has to be disease free. He said that both the Ministries have joined hands to study the health needs of Tribal population and cater to the public health-care services in major thrust areas in Malnutrition, Iron deficiency Anaemia and Sickle Cell Diseases through Ayurveda interventions, which are already prevalent and effective to address these health needs. He informed that this project aims to cover the students of 10 to 18 years of age group enrolled in classes 6th to 12th in identified 55 EMRS across 14 states of the country.
Mr Munda said, the initiative will help in developing healthy lifestyle practices in children as per the principles of Ayurveda, thereby improving and protecting their health and overall well-being with emphasis on prevention of diseases. He added that there should be a medicinal plant garden in the schools to make the future generation aware about the importance of traditional medicines in our citizen’s life.
A Memorandum of Understanding was signed between Ministry of Ayush and Ministry of Tribal Affairs in October 2022 to explore the areas of collaboration, convergence and synergy for tribal development. Accordingly, CCRAS developed 72 Poshan Vatikas in EMRS of 20 states.