Abstractobjectives The government of India is promoting and increasing investment in the traditional medicine systems of Ayurveda, Yoga, Unani, Siddha and Homeopathy (AYUSH) in the northeast region of India. But there are few empirical data that support this policy decision. This study estimates the awareness and use of the different medical systems in rural Meghalaya, a state in northeast India with a predominantly ethnic tribal population.method We conducted a cross-sectional multistage random sample household survey across all districts of Meghalaya. To enable appropriate estimates for the whole of rural Meghalaya, the data were weighted to allow for the probability of selection of households at each stage of the sampling process.results Both local tribal medicine and biomedicine were widely accepted and used, but the majority (68.7%, 95% CI: 51.9-81.7) had not heard of AYUSH and even fewer had used it. Tribal medicine was used (79.1%, 95% CI 66.3-88.0), thought to be effective (87.5%, 95% CI: 74.2-94.1) and given in a variety of disorders, including both minor and major diseases. In the 3 months prior to the survey, 46.2% (95% CI: 30.5-62.8) had used tribal medicine. Only 10.5% (95% CI: 6.1-17.6) reported ever using any of the AYUSH systems.conclusion Our comparative estimates of the awareness and use of tribal medicine, different systems of AYUSH and of biomedicine among indigenous populations of India question the basis on which AYUSH is promoted in the northeast region of India and in the state of Meghalaya in particular.keywords indigenous peoples, medical pluralism, health policy, health system, northeast India, Khasi tribe
Background: Despite generally high agrobiodiversity, the Khasi and Garo indigenous people in Meghalaya have poor nutritional status among children and women. Aim: To assess the dietary diversity of the Khasi and Garo indigenous women of reproductive age in Meghalaya, while examining the associated factors that affect it and to map the diversity of local food plants. Methods: A dietary survey was conducted through 24-hour recall with 276 women from 28 villages of Meghalaya. The mapping of local food plants was conducted through key informant interviews and focus group discussions in the same villages. Results: The mean minimum dietary diversity for women is 4.22 (SD ±1.26); with one-third (37%) of the women attaining a minimum dietary diversity of five or more food groups in a day. There were significant differences in the dietary diversity among the indigenous groups, the Garo community attaining higher minimum dietary diversity for women. There was also an inverse association between the number of land uses and dietary diversity. The mean number of food plants (including crop varieties) found in each village is 203 (SD±45.7). Conclusions: There is potential to enhance dietary diversity through diversifying lesser consumed crops such as vitamin A-rich vegetables and fruits, nuts, seeds and green leafy vegetables in existing land holdings. Also, proper management and access to the commons will provide a sustainable resource base for diet and food security, enhance dietary diversity and bridge the hidden hunger among children and women.
Objective: The objective was to estimate the prevalence of clinical vitamin A deficiency (VAD) in children 0-15 years, to determine the knowledge of nutrition and dietary practices, and to assess the social factors that are associated with vitamin A status in these children. Design: A cross-sectional study using household interviews with mothers of children 0-15 years and clinical examination of children for clinical VAD was conducted. A case-control study design was adopted to ascertain the knowledge and consumption of vitamin A rich foods and the associated social factors. Setting: Rural communities of Khasi tribal people in Pynursla Block, East KhasiHills, Meghalaya. Results: The prevalence of clinical VAD in children 0-15 years was 4.5% (95% confidence interval [CI] 3.32-5.98). The prevalence in school age (5-15 years) children was 5.9% (95% CI 4.12-7.68), higher than among pre-school children of 2.49% (95% CI 1.16-3.84). The community has a term for night blindness, Matiar, for which treatment is the intake of beef liver either in raw, boiled or roasted form. The control group had better knowledge of vitamin A rich food than the cases and they consumed 28% more vitamin A rich food than the cases while intake of wild edibles was higher in case group by 9%. Maternal education and familysize were found to be significantly associated with vitamin A status of children. Conclusion: VAD is a public health problem among children 0-15 years in Pynrusla Block of East Khasi Hills District, Meghalaya. In order to effectively address this problem, it is essential to enhance the knowledge of nutrition and appropriate diets and to encourage the consumption of traditional foods especially locally available vitamin A rich foods.
Among food practices that foster climate resilience, traditional agricultural practices of Indigenous communities have been recognized and noted in recent times. These forms of agriculture include shifting cultivation and its adaptations across communities in the tropics. However, the policy narrative around shifting cultivation is rooted in its misunderstanding, as it was once seen as primitive and backward. New research and a reinterpretation of existing research present challenges to long-held policies that have discouraged and deterred the practice of shifting cultivation. With the onset of this new narrative is a call to action that seeks a rethinking by policymakers and governance actors around the nature and merits of traditional agriculture. Through the case study of Meghalaya, a small hilly state in the Northeastern region of India largely inhabited by Indigenous Peoples, this paper aims to provide the dominant narrative at the local context, evidence of the adaptations in shifting cultivation that contribute to sustainability, and the need to rethink policy relating to shifting cultivation at the local level.
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