According to the recent estimates of the United Nations and World Health Organization the indigenous populations, also known as tribes or aboriginals, have global presence in more than 90 countries and numbering more than 476 million. Even though they make up for about 6.2% of the world’s population, but account for more than 15% of the poorest. The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) make up the shared framework for peace and prosperity for people on the planet. Here, SDG 3 is “Good Health and Well Being” and encompasses 'Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages'. The world is moving steadily towards the aspiration of Health for All under the aegis of Universal Health Coverage (UHC) wherein the goal is to provide everybody with affordable quality healthcare at their doorstep. This is not an easy task, especially when it comes to the tribes of the world. The Lancet report of 2016 provided a global snapshot of indigenous peoples’ health and pointed out that in most parts of the world, the tribes are seriously lagging behind. In addition to this, the tribal areas are marred by the disparity in health-seeking behaviour and healthcare delivery. Furthermore, sometimes the unique sociocultural practices and poor awareness about public health system add to the suffering of indigenous groups.
This panel is ably supported by the IUAES Commission of Medical Anthropology and Epidemiology, and invites papers from across the globe, especially India (host country of this Congress with a strong 104 million tribal population) to dwell on connecting the dots as far as poor health of indigenous groups is concerned. Empirical papers from young scholars will be encouraged. We believe that anthropology as a discipline has an immense role to play because of our direct contact and connection with tribes of the world.
