Tribal Health and Medicine A Case Study among the Karbis of Karbi Anglong District Assam

Abstract

The self sufficient and self reliant tribal people have over ages engaged in developing their own traditional medicine using herbs and other items collected from the nature and processed locally. With deep seated belief in taboos, spiritual powers and faith of healing while making use of the nature, they also have their own ways of diagnosis and cure of diseases. There are wide variations among tribes as regards their health status and willingness to access and use health services depending on their culture, level or degree of contact with other cultures as well as their willingness to adapt to new ways. The present research is dedicated towards understanding the health status of the Karbis of Karbi Anglong district of Assam. It aims to understand the attitude as well as willingness of the Karbis towards new and modern health practices. While doing this, the study also aims to identify and document the medicinal plants used by them for generations and delineate the traditional health practices in use for curing certain diseases. The study also gives an account of the socio economic conditions of the sample villages 62 nos. under study. Methods used for the study have ranged widely between case study, observation as well as sample survey. The study was conducted between July 2004 and September 2004, and was concentrated in the Karbi Anglong district of Assam.