Perception and Dimensions of Health Care Practices in the Desia Kandha Tribal Community of South Odisha

The perception of health and health care practices among the tribal
groups of India is primarily derived from their own indigenous
knowledge and tradition. The concept of health and disease is organically
linked to their customs, traditions, and ecology. The objective of this
study is to understand the perception and dimensions of health care
practices and health care beliefs among the Desia Kandha tribe, the
most populous tribal group of Odisha in Surada Block of Ganjam
District, Odisha, India. To the Desia Kandhas, health means absence of
ailments, physical wellbeing, and ability to work and play. They define
illness as the presence of ailments, infection, and weakness followed
by physical discomfort. The most common diseases include malaria,
chickenpox, measles, and jaundice, which are believed to occur due to
various reasons such as breach of taboo, lack of proper nutrition, poor
sanitation, and presence of evil spirits. In addition to improvements
through infrastructural provisions from the Government of India,
education has made people aware of modern health care and modern
medicines, as a result of which the degree of application of traditional
health care practices has been decreasing in recent years; though
accessibility to modern medical treatment is limited. In order to
achieve the much-aspired health for all, ethno-medical understanding
of various health cultures is essential. It is necessary to document the
beliefs and treatment patterns, utilization of modem medical care, and
associated problems among the tribals, as well as their perception of
health and illness, which are quite distinct from those of the nontribal
populations.