Conservation and promotion of traditional healthcare and related knowledge systems amongst tribal and non tribal village communities in the similipal biosphere reserve area of orissa

This program strives to develop traditional medicine (Ayurveda and folk systems) as a culturally acceptable and appropriate promotive, preventive and curative health care program and to improve the local health care through an innovative, alternative and indigenous health care approach. It aims to develop the sensitivity and health culture of the local communities around the biosphere of Similipal. This is the only option that will be left for the poor who cannot afford to treat him/her in an era of growing privatization of health sector. It will not create dependency syndrome as the knowledge and resources are available at doorstep. In Orissa, Vaidyas may outnumber allopathic doctors 100:1 or more. Especially in Similipal, vaidyas provide client-centered, personalized health care that is culturally appropriate, holistic and tailored to meet the needs and expectations of the patients. Vaidyas around Similipal have been organized in to associations, which makes it easier to establish collaborative programs.

Sambandh through this project has been involved in developing a participatory model to demonstrate the relevance of health heritage in the locality. A group of grass-root organizations have been involved in the process in order to propagate the system and promotion of local level initiatives covering the entire bio-sphere area. Indigenous and local communities, traditional folk medicine practitioners, birth attendants, health workers, women SHG members, school teachers and students, and forest department officials have been involved in various programs coordinated by Sambandh. The project is a partnership initiative of various stakeholders like nodal NGOs, CBOs, Educational Institutions, vaidya sanghas, self-help groups, Community Forest protection Committees and Green Health Clubs. The Project Coordination committee (PCC) consisting of concerned staff of SAMBANDH (being responsible for implementation) and chief functionaries of the nodal agencies have played a vital role in program planning, monitoring, supervision and maintaining financial discipline of the project.

All the NGOs have come together to capacitate and develop mutual co-operation and strengthen solidarity to work on common issues like conservation of bio-diversity as well as in revival of indigenous health practices. SAMBANDH played the role of both implementer and facilitator for this program. The mandate for such collaborative approach can sourced from the facts that 1) the issue is widespread covering large area of the bio-sphere, 2) collective effort would create the roadmap for advocacy and lobbying for policy changes and 3) for effective and better implementation of the planned measures
68 villages of 10 gram panchayats of 5 blocks have been selected in and around Similipal biosphere reserve for the implementation of this program. Accordingly 4 nodal agencies including SAMBANDH have taken up responsibilities for the implementation of the programs. SAMBANDH has also take up responsibility of coordinating all the nodal agencies.

Achievements :-
· Common villagers have become aware on the need for the protection of medicinal    plants for their own health services
· Increased application of indigenous healthcare practices in the treatment of health   problems faced by tribals and poor in large nos. of villages
· Recognition of local vaidyas increased to a large extent at the panchayat/block level.
· Interface between the vaidy as and the common villagers at the local market created   an awareness on the need for the protection of the medicinal plants.
· Collection of various parts of the medicinal plant species from the wild has been   checked to a large extent
· Exhibition of various posters and placards at the exhibition and folk songs and street   theatres created an health awareness among the common villagers on the community   health approach based on indigenous medicinal practices
· Strategies worked out among the community level for the promotion of such indigenous   health practices.
· Community herbal gardens are being developed to cultivate and propagate not only   common but also rare & endangered medicinal plants by the vaidya sanghas.
· Networking of Vaidya Sanghas established at Divisional level.
· Four numbers of Green Health Clubs (GHCs) have been formed with selection of the   office bearers.
· Members of the GHCs have created motivational programs with the vaidyas at the   village level on promotion of indigenous health care practices and protection of   medicinal plants and creation of herbal home gardens.
· Reasonable efficacy in treating, healing and curing many kinds of diseases, plant   based alternative medicine has gained momentum
· 50 varieties of medicinal plants have been collected by SAMBANDH and from all over   Orissa.
· Land for the herbal garden has been prepared in all four schools with the help of   Vaidyas
· Improved understanding of health problems faced by women and children in tribal   villages.
· Development of trained women health workers.
· Capacity building of women in villages for managing health problems at the village level.
· Improved access to health care for women and children in the target villages.
· Setting up of nurseries and herbal gardens in villages.
· Strengthening of traditional medicine.
· The trained women have used the booklet as guidebook.
· More application of herbal remedies in mother and child care
· Lot of younger generation people have shown interest to learn the indigenous heath   practices
· Sharing of information on the formulation of various medicines has improved the   knowledge among the youth vaidyas.