India is endowed with a 10.4 crore tribal population which encompasses in itself 705 diverse ethnic groups spread across the length and breadth of the country and inhabiting almost every kind of ecosystem possible. The strong symbiotic relationship of tribes with nature has been the core of their existence. As times evolved, tribes have faced myriad health challenges, with Covid-19 being the latest one and penetration of non-communicable diseases in these communities is also slowly making its mark. However, they have always stood the test of time. The health challenges in tribes from the perspective of social anthropology have been that of accessibility, affordability, availability, different health-seeking behaviour (in comparison to the non-tribal population at large), lack of awareness, and incompatibility with the practices and views of modern medicine health service providers. The present paper discusses these at length in context of the Baiga tribes of Madhya Pradesh, India which is also a Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group in the state.
