Sahana Florence.P, Research Scholar, Christ (Deemed To Be University), Bengaluru, India.
Abstract
Health is an important determinant of the well-being of any community. Health is considered one of the essential elements of human development and progress. There are 370 million Indigenous people around the world and spread across more than 90 countries and they constitute about 6.2% of the world’s population. Despite such extensive diversity Indigenous peoples are often marginalized and face discrimination in countries’ legal systems, leaving them even more vulnerable to violence and abuse. India is home to 104 million tribal people concentrated in 10 different States. Spread across 705 Tribes, they account for 8.6.% of the Country’s population. Communities cannot thrive without good health, and sadly, good health can be elusive for communities on the margins of the society. Even before the Covid -19 pandemic, tribal and indigenous people all over the world have routinely experienced lower life expectancies, poor maternal and child health, and higher rates of both infectious and non-communicable diseases. In India, indigenous people/ Tribals are becoming even more vulnerable during this global pandemic. As these people experience a high degree of socio-economic marginalisation and are at disproportionate risk in public health emergencies. Lack of access to adequate health services is exacerbated by various factors such as the remote locations of indigenous communities and lack of government access; language barriers, security problems in these areas; and social discrimination, access to effective monitoring and early warning systems, required protective measures, adequate information and awareness about government policies related to COVID-19 pandemic. In this article an attempt is made to review and analyse the impact of Covid-19 on the Right to Health of the Indigenous people or Tribal People in India, the mechanisms adopted by the government and various barriers to access the adequate health services. This paper is also an attempt to discuss the need for comprehensive health policy to meet the health requirement for the indigenous population of the country to combat COVID-19 pandemic.
Keywords: Indigenous People, Tribals, Marginalised, COVID-19 Pandemic, Health Emergencies, Exacerbated, Disproportionate.
