Towards health equity and transformative action on Tribal health (THETA)

The Towards Health Equity & Trasnsformative Action on tribal health (THETA) is a research project focusing on health of tribal communities. Most tribal communities live in and around forest regions in south, central and northeast India. Their health and nutritional status is known to be poorer than other communiites. While the most evident reason for this is their remote geographical location, social disadvantage and other reasons are postulated to be the drivers of poor tribal health In this research, we will study tribal population health status in three sites across India to better understand and explain reasons for this. Based on this, we shall develop a health systems intervention in partnership with tribal commuity-based organisations and district health services to address inequities.

Objectives and Methodology

Study timeline

Districts with tribal community residing in the forest area across five states.

1.Establishment of field stations at South India, North East India and Central India.

2. Geographic information system map
From 2011 census, list of tribal and non-tribal villages was selected and mapped in geographic information system (GIS). In QGIS software a vector layer of protected forest area boundary was imported and additional vector layer of buffer zone from the edge of the protected forest area was created. Buffer zone area was vary from site to site, depending on an assessment of forest dependency and perceived effects of nearby protected area on livelihoods and other socio-economic characteristics.

3. Access to service Index
In THETA project study area both Tribal and non-tribal communities reside inside and outside the forest protected area. Services for adequate standard of living varies across villages. Access to service index was created, to understand access to basic services received by the communities. By using factorial analysis groups of settlements striving for intra-group homogeneity by ensuring inter-group heterogeneity with respect to geography was assessed.

4. Mid-Term Progress & THETA Project Workshop Report

Nityasri S N

Attended five days workshop “Cutting-edge research in health inequities: concepts and methods”, 6-10 August, 2018 in Bengaluru organised by Closing the Gap: Health Equity Research Initiative in India, Achutha Menon Centre for Health Science Studies, Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences and Technology in collaboration with Azim Premji University, Bengaluru

Yogish C B

Attended workshop on Family planning data analysis from NFHS-4 data under Research & Analysis for scientific transformation & development in Delhi between 9-12 February, 2018 and 24-26 May, 2018 organised by population council of India.
Attended five days workshop “Cutting-edge research in health inequities: concepts and methods”, 6-10 August, 2018 in Bengaluru organised by Closing the Gap: Health Equity Research Initiative in India, Achutha Menon Centre for Health Science Studies, Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences and Technology in collaboration with Azim Premji University, Bengaluru.
He was selected for Emerging Voices for Global Health (EV4GH) 2018 programme initiative by Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp.

Funder
DBT/Wellcome Trust India Alliance

Collaborators

Zilla Budakattu Girijana Abhivruddhi Sangha (ZBGAS)
Vivekananda Girijana Kalyana Kendra (VGKK)
Multi-Disciplinary Research Unit (MRU) at MMC & RI, Mysuru
Dr. Giridhara R Babu, Indian Institute of Public Health Hyderabad – Bengaluru campus
Dr. Madhusudhan M D, Nature Conservation Foundation, Mysuru
Dr. Nandini Velho, Independent Researcher

Duration of project

May 2017- April 2022

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