Outbreak among Baiga PVTG in Madhya Pradesh highlights challenges of faith healing

Social Justice & Governance · 13 August 2026 · Based on The Hindu (original report)

Worth reading — 1 past UPSC question on this theme (Prelims GS-1 2019).

2-minute summary

An outbreak of monsoon-related infectious diseases, including malaria, typhoid, viral infections, and skin ailments, has claimed the lives of seven children and affected over 100 people among the Baiga Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group (PVTG) in Balaghat district, Madhya Pradesh. The affected villages in Baihar tehsil are located in remote, dense forest terrain with homes scattered across hills, creating severe geographical bottlenecks for medical teams. The crisis highlights the deeply rooted challenges of public healthcare delivery in tribal pockets, characterized by reliance on traditional faith healers, hesitation toward modern medicine, and poor sanitation. In response, local administration and public health authorities deployed special medical squads, conducted door-to-door screenings via ASHA and ANM workers, and collected water and blood samples sent to ICMR-NIRBI Kolkata and ICMR-NIV Pune. To overcome cultural resistance, authorities have engaged local spiritual leaders and village elders to build trust and persuade families to accept modern clinical care.

Why it's in the news

A severe disease outbreak in Madhya Pradesh's Balaghat district resulted in seven children dying among the Baiga PVTG. The situation has spotlighted critical gaps in tribal healthcare, geographical remoteness, and the challenge of bridging traditional faith healing with modern healthcare delivery.

Background and context

Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs) represent the most marginalized sub-category among Scheduled Tribes in India, defined by pre-agricultural technology, low literacy, stagnant or declining population, and economic backwardness. The Baiga tribe, primarily inhabiting eastern and southern Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh, historically practiced shifting cultivation ('Bewar') and deep forest foraging. Due to extreme geographic isolation and historical marginalization, PVTGs maintain traditional socio-cultural beliefs, including heavy reliance on local faith healers ('Gunias' or shamans) for physical illnesses. Public health studies, including the Abhay Bang Committee Report (2018), have highlighted that tribal populations bear a disproportionate burden of communicable diseases like malaria, tuberculosis, and malnutrition. Key challenges in tribal health delivery include critical shortages of medical staff in remote hamlets, lack of culturally sensitive communication, poor sanitation infrastructure, and physical non-accessibility during monsoon seasons.

Constitutional provisions

• Article 21 — Guarantees the Right to Life, which the Supreme Court has interpreted to include the right to health and timely medical treatment.
• Article 47 — Directive Principle of State Policy directing the State to raise the level of nutrition, standard of living, and public health.
• Article 244(1) / Fifth Schedule — Provides special provisions for the administration and control of Scheduled Areas and Scheduled Tribes.
• Article 342 — Empowers the President to specify Scheduled Tribes in relation to a State or Union Territory.

Committees and reports

• Expert Committee on Tribal Health (Abhay Bang Committee) — Identified tribal communities as bearing a disproportionate disease burden; recommended allocating 8.6% of health budgets to tribal health and creating dedicated tribal health cadres.
• High-Level Committee on Socio-Economic, Health and Educational Status of Tribal Communities (Virginius Xaxa Committee) — Highlighted poor health indicators among tribal groups and advocated for decentralized, community-centric health infrastructure.

Government schemes

• PM-JANMAN (Pradhan Mantri Janjati Adivasi Nyaya Maha Abhiyan) — Targeted scheme launched to provide essential services including healthcare, road connectivity, clean drinking water, and housing to PVTG hamlets.
• National Health Mission (NHM) - Tribal Health Sub-plan — Deploys frontline health workers (ASHA, ANM) and mobile medical units in underserved and difficult-to-reach tribal terrains.

International organisations

• World Health Organization (WHO) — Advocates for Universal Health Coverage (UHC) and culturally sensitive public health strategies for indigenous communities worldwide.

Previous UPSC questions on this theme

• Prelims GS-1 2019 — Consider the following statements about Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs) in India : 1. PVTGs reside in 18 States and one Union Territory. 2. A stagnant or declining population is one of the criteria for determining PVTG status. 3. There are 95 PVTGs officially notified in the country so far. 4. Irular and Konda Reddi tribes are included in the list of PVTGs. Which of the statements given above are correct? (a) 1, 2 and 3 (b) 2, 3 and 4 (c) 1, 2 and 4 (d) 1, 3 and 4

Mains practice: Despite targeted administrative interventions, Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs) face severe public health risks. Analyze the socio-cultural and administrative bottlenecks in delivering effective healthcare to PVTGs and suggest remedies.

Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs) represent 75 highly vulnerable tribal communities across India. Recent health crises, such as disease outbreaks among the Baiga tribe in Madhya Pradesh, underline structural vulnerabilities in tribal health governance.

Key Socio-Cultural and Administrative Bottlenecks:

• Cultural Distance and Faith Healing: PVTGs deeply trust traditional faith healers ('Gunias') over modern medicine. Lack of culturally sensitive health communication creates fear and distrust of hospital admissions.

• Extreme Geographical Isolation: Scattered hamlets in dense forest terrains and hilly topography lack all-weather road access, severely hindering emergency medical response during monsoons.

• Institutional Shortages: Health centers in tribal belts face acute shortages of medical officers, functional diagnostic units, and essential drugs.

• Poor Sanitation and Potable Water: Lack of safe drinking water sources leads to recurrent seasonal outbreaks of waterborne and vector-borne diseases like typhoid and malaria.

• Ineffective Local Mobilization: Top-down delivery models often fail to involve community heads and traditional leaders in health literacy campaigns.

Way Forward:

• Traditional-Modern Integration: Co-opt local spiritual leaders and traditional healers as health ambassadors to bridge trust deficits.

• Specialized Health Infrastructure: Fully fund and implement the PM-JANMAN scheme to ensure mobile medical units, clean drinking water, and tele-medicine in PVTG habitations.

• Community Health Cadre: Train local tribal youth as community health workers to ensure continuous health monitoring.

Conclusion:

Achieving health equity for PVTGs requires moving beyond clinical interventions to holistic, community-led, and culturally sensitive health governance as envisaged by the Abhay Bang Committee.

Prelims practice questions

Q1. Which of the following criteria are used by the Government of India to declare a tribe as a Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group (PVTG)? 1. Pre-agricultural level of technology 2. Low level of literacy 3. Stagnant or declining population 4. Economic backwardness Select the correct answer using the code given below:

1. 1 and 2 only
2. 1, 2 and 3 only
3. 2, 3 and 4 only
4. 1, 2, 3 and 4

Answer: D. The federal criteria for identifying PVTGs are: pre-agricultural technology, low literacy, stagnant/declining population, and economic backwardness. All four statements are correct.

Q2. With reference to the Baiga tribe in India, consider the following statements: 1. They are recognized as a Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group (PVTG). 2. They primarily inhabit regions across Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

1. 1 only
2. 2 only
3. Both 1 and 2
4. Neither 1 nor 2

Answer: C. The Baiga tribe is one of the designated PVTGs in India, mainly residing in Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh. Hence, both statements are correct.

Q3. Which government initiative specifically aims to provide basic amenities, healthcare, education, and connectivity to Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs)?

1. PM-POSHAN
2. STAND-UP INDIA
3. PM-JANMAN
4. PM-KISAN

Answer: C. Pradhan Mantri Janjati Adivasi Nyaya Maha Abhiyan (PM-JANMAN) is specifically targeted at improving the socio-economic conditions and basic infrastructure for PVTGs.

Revision flashcards

• What are PVTGs? Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups are a sub-category among Scheduled Tribes identified by pre-agricultural technology, low literacy, declining/stagnant population, and extreme economic backwardness. There are 75 designated PVTGs in India.
• Which committee presented a comprehensive report on Tribal Health in India in 2018? The Expert Committee on Tribal Health headed by Dr. Abhay Bang.
• What is the primary objective of PM-JANMAN? To ensure multi-sectoral development including healthcare, clean water, housing, road connectivity, and education for PVTG habitations.
• Where is the Baiga PVTG predominantly located? Eastern and southern districts of Madhya Pradesh and adjoining areas of Chhattisgarh.
• Which Constitutional Article directs the State to raise nutrition levels and improve public health? Article 47 (Directive Principles of State Policy).