Source: The post is based on the article “STs trail non-STs in 81 health measures: 2021 study” published in “The Hindu” on 28th September 2023.
What is the News?
A recent study in ‘The Lancet Regional Health — Southeast Asia’ has analyzed health, nutrition, and population trends among Scheduled Tribes (STs) in India from 2016 to 2021 using data from National Family Health Surveys.
What are the key findings of the study?
Scheduled Tribes(STs) Population: According to the 2011 Census, there are over 104 million STs spread across 705 recognised ethnic groups.They make up 8.6% of India’s population.
Challenges faced by STs over non-STs: In 2021, the non-ST population outperformed the ST population in 81 out of 129 indicators.STs continued to face challenges, particularly concerning women’s status and major public health issues such as child malnutrition, anemia, insufficient vaccination coverage and disparities in fertility and mortality rates.For instance:
– Child Mortality: The child mortality rate for STs was alarmingly high, with 50 out of every 1,000 children not surviving to their fifth birthday.
– Child Malnutrition: Child malnutrition was a significant issue, with over 40% of ST children under five being stunted and underweight.
– High Blood Pressure: Between 2016 and 2021, there was a notable increase in high blood pressure levels among ST men and women aged 15–49, with increases of 7.5% and 8.9%, respectively.
Indicators in which STs outperformed non-STs: STs surpassed non-STs in indicators such as gender balance, gender balance at birth, use of family planning methods, consistent treatment during pregnancy and adherence to recommended breastfeeding practices.
– Moreover, STs showed a reduced occurrence of diabetes and hypertension compared to non-STs.
Improvements made by STs between 2016 to 2021: During this period, STs made progress in indicators such as:
– Sanitation Facilities: Access to improved sanitation facilities improved significantly, with a 30.4 percentage point increase from 2015–2016 to 2019–2021.
– Skilled Birth Attendance: More births were attended by skilled health personnel, increasing by 13 percentage points.
– Full Vaccination Coverage: Coverage for full vaccination among children aged 12–23 months increased by 18.6 points.
– Civil Birth Registration: Civil registration of births among STs also rose from 76% in 2016 to 88% in 2021, indicating better documentation and recognition of births within the community,
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