Understanding poor man′s diseases in contemporary perspective

Abstract

A historical event in the ongoing fight against various diseases prevalent among ethnic tribes took place on August 9, 2010, when the Directors of ten institutes of Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), senior scientists, researchers and experts gathered at National Institute for Research in Tribal Health formerly known as Regional Medical Research Centre for Tribals in Jabalpur to attend the first meeting of the Tribal Health Research Forum (THRF) under the chairmanship of Dr V.M. Katoch, Former Secretary, Department of Health Research (DHR) and Director General (DG), ICMR, New Delhi. The prospective study conducted in Baiga Chak of Dindori district, which is predominantly occupied by Baiga PVTG provides vital information on the perennial transmission, highly efficient vectors, insecticide resistance and higher infection rates in young children than older children and adults [3] . Programme infrastructure and management has to be developed to respond to the new challenges that we are certain to face, whether it is high child and infant mortality [21] , neglected burden of P. vivax [2], emerging problem of drug resistance [1] , ecological succession favouring vector invasion in newer areas or new sibling species of Anopheles culicifacies (E) transmitting malaria [6] .