Health, Disease and Morbidity Among the Irular Tribe of Tamil Nadu

The Irular tribe is one the numerically dominant and second largest tribe in Tamil Nadu, with major concentration in erstwhile North Arcot, South Arcot and Chengalput districts. Their social organization is different from the Irular of Udagamandalam. They are traditionally honey collectors and snake catchers. The study was conducted in two sections of the Irular, distributed in four geographically adjacent districts namely, Vellore, Kanchepuram, Tiruvallur and Tiruvannamalai districts. Five villages were chosen from interior isolated areas and five villages from acculturated areas to assess the impact of modernization and acculturation on their health. General fertility rate of Irular in isolated area is in higher proportion (211) than that of the Irular of exposed areas (204). The crude death rate is very high (12.74) in isolated areas than exposed (2.21) areas. The Crude birth rate is more in isolated areas (48.83) than in exposed areas (46.46). Child women ratio is lower (366.97) in isolated areas than exposed areas (368.9). Infant mortality rate is very high in isolated interior areas (131.43) compared to exposed areas (47.62).

The Irular of isolated areas use a variety of herbal medicines for their various body ailments, while the Irular in exposed areas approach primary health centres and Hospitals for treatment. The occurrences of various types of anomalies, disabilities and illness have been recorded in isolated and exposed groups. The morbidity conditions that are prevalent among the Irular of both the locations have been analyzed and discussed in the paper. The anomalies, disabilities and illness are in higher proportion in isolated group (55 per cent) than in exposed group (11 per cent). The inference drawn by the study is that the Irular in exposed areas have been benefited by modern amenities to maintain their health, while their brethren in isolated areas still adhere to the age old traditional practices. Due to urbanization the Irular in exposed areas availed allopathic medicine, water, sanitation and education of the children in the rehabilitated areas.