CTRITH
Centre for Training, Research, and Innovation in Tribal Health
Project duration - 2021 to 2026
Project Brief
Responding to critical health gaps of Adivasi populations in Chamaranagar district, Karnataka, a team of clinical and public health researchers from the Institute of Public Health Bengaluru (IPH Bengaluru), Indian Institute of Public Health (IIPH)-Bengaluru, and JSS Medical College established the Centre for Training, Research, and Innovation in Tribal Health (CTRITH). CTRITH is a five-year project (2021-26) funded by the DBT/Wellcome Trust India Alliance through its Clinical and Public Health Centres grant mechanism.
Objectives
The efforts of CTRITH are aimed at assessing important gaps in the knowledge (and action) on Adivasi health, especially given the trend of increasing non-communicable diseases (NCD) among Adivasi communities (including diabetes, hypertension, stroke, and chronic respiratory conditions). Overall, the team aims to use research, evidence, action, and training to contribute to improved tribal health.
Research Questions
How can we embed public health training programs for physicians/public health researchers in a tribal community setting? How does community-embedded physician/public health training improve the health equity focus of research and training programs?
What are the long-term and intergenerational effects of tobacco and alcohol use on child health and development in a tribal population experiencing high levels of alcohol and tobacco use?
How are tobacco and alcohol embedded in the sociocultural and historical context of a particular tribal community in southern Karnataka?
How can we design and implement health services-based and community-based interventions for neglected tribal health problems (hemoglobinopathies and harmful substance-use) in tribal populations using implementation research and theory-driven (realist) approaches?
Programs in CTRITH
Participatory community-based interventions for substance use
The team in IPH is utilising theory-driven (realist) approaches for developing and implementing the interventions. Hosa Jeevana is focused on addressing harmful substance use among adults through a combination of clinic and community-based package of care. One All is a sports-based intervention aimed at improving mental health resilience and promoting positive mental health among the Adivasi youth.
CTRITH Outcomes
Other than these outcomes, CTRITH is also focused on community and policy engagement.
Establish an Adivasi cohort
Set up a population-based haemoglobinopathies registry
Implement participatory community-based interventions for addressing substance use among tribal populations
Develop courses for public health researchers
Sensitise early career researchers to work in limited resource settings with vulnerable communities
Research Team
Prashanth N. Srinivas
Principal Investigator
Suresh Shapeti
Co-PI, Special Officer & Director (IIPH-B)
Deepa Bhat
Co-PI, Professor, JSS Medical College, Mysuru
Upendra Bhojani
Co-PI, Senior Fellow
Tanya Seshadri
Associate Professor
Rahul Amruthapuri
Program Head CTRTH
Preethi Gopinath
Research Manager
Mentors
Andrew Russel
Professor, Department of Anthropology, New Delhi
Prof. Bruno Marchal
Department of Public Health, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp
Akila Prashant
Professor of Biochemistry, JSS Medical College, Mysuru
Giridhara R Babu
Professor of Population Medicine, College of Medicine, Qatar University
Tanya Seshadri
Assistant Director Education, IPH Bengaluru
Ravi M D
Professor of Paediatrics, JSS Medical College, Mysuru
Narayana Murthy R
Head, Community Medicine Department, School of Public Health, JSMC
Dr. Pragati Hebbar
Assistant Director Research, DBT/Wellcome Trust India Alliance Fellow, Institute of Public Health, Bengaluru
Akila Prashant
Professor of Biochemistry, JSS Medical College, Mysuru
Dr. Dorothy Lall
Associate Professor, Christian Medical College Vellore
Dr. Debarati Mukherjee
Collaborators
Chamarajanagar Institute of Medical Sciences (CIMS)
https://cimscrnagara.karnataka.gov.in/english
State Department of Tribal Welfare, Govt. of Karnataka
https://twd.karnataka.gov.in/Department of Forest, Ecology, Environment and Climate Change, Govt. of Karnataka
https://forest.karnataka.gov.in/en
National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS)
https://www.nimhans.ac.in/
VGKK Hospital
www.vgkk.in/vivekananda-tribal-health-centre-vthcField support and clinical base (BR Hills).
Samanvay Foundation, Bengaluru
https://www.samanvayfoundation.org/District Health and Family Welfare Office, Chamarajanagar
https://chamarajanagar.nic.in/en/health/Taluka-level Soliga Sanghas
Zilla Budakattu Girijana Abhivrudhi Sangha
Sponsor
Dr. Pragati Hebbar
Assistant Director Research
Research Advisory Board
R N K Bamezai, Chair
Professor (Retired), Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi
M Jadyegowda
Associate Professor, College of Forestry, University of Agricultural & Horticultural Sciences, Karnataka
Sundari Ravindran
Professor, Achutha Menon Centre for Health Sciences, Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences & Technology, Thiruvananthapuram
Shreelata Rao Seshadri
Professor and Director, Ramalingaswami Centre for Equity and Social Determinants of Health, Public Health Foundation of India, Bengaluru
S L Hoti
ICMR Emeritus Scientist, ICMR-Vector Control Research Centre, Puducherry, Former Director-in-Charge & Scientist 'G', ICMR-National Institute of Traditional Medicine, Karnataka
Kishore Kumar
Director, Banyan Academy of Leadership in Mental Health
Surekha Garimella
Senior Fellow, George Institute of Global Health-India
Yogesh Kalkonde
Public Health Practitioner and Neurologist, Sangwari
Werner Soors
Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp & Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Antwerp, Belgium
Dr. Dorothy Lall
Associate Professor, Christian Medical College Vellore
Funding agency
