Bhubaneswar: The state’s particularly vulnerable tribal groups (PVTGs) continue to grapple with poor maternal healthcare, inadequate menstrual hygiene and widespread malnutrition, leaving women and children exposed to preventable health risks despite improvements in healthcare outreach, a new study has found.A technical report, ‘Socio-cultural, Demographic, Nutrition and Health Status of the Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs) of Odisha’, prepared by the Centre of Excellence in Studies on Tribal and Marginalised Communities at Utkal University, paints a concerning picture of reproductive, child and nutritional health among the state’s 10 PVTG communities.The study identifies menstrual hygiene as one of the weakest links in women’s health. While the average age of menarche is 13.2 years, considerable variations exist across communities. Girls from the Juang and Mankidia communities attain menarche earlier, whereas those from the Kutia Kandha and Didayi communities experience it later, suggesting underlying nutritional and environmental disparities, the researchers said. Menstruation continues to be surrounded by taboos in many communities, limiting girls’ access to education and healthcare. Only 19% of PVTG women uses sanitary napkins, while the overwhelming majority rely on reusable cloth. Nearly one-fourths clean themselves using only water during menstruation, increasing their vulnerability to reproductive tract infections and other health complications. The report also highlights the persistence of early marriage and child-bearing. Women have their first child at an average age of 20.5 years, with an average fertility rate of about three live births per woman. Fertility is highest among the Didayi and Lodha communities, although declining trends are visible among the Juang and Mankidia. Researchers also expressed concern over poor birth outcomes. The average birth weight of newborns is below the healthy threshold of 2.47 kg with very low birth weight particularly common among Bonda, Didayi and Lodha communities.Maternal healthcare coverage remains uneven across tribes. Communities such as the Juang and Dongria Kandha report relatively better antenatal care coverage, while the Paudi Bhuiya and Bonda continue to lag behind. The study found that 59% of births still take place at home, with most deliveries conducted by traditional birth attendants. The low rate of institutional deliveries contributes to pregnancy-related complications, which affect 13.7% of mothers, as well as higher incidences of miscarriage and stillbirth among the Bonda, Didayi and Kutia Kandha communities.Researchers Prasanna Kumar Patra, Mitali Chinara, Subhendu Kumar Acharya, Suresh Chandra Murmu and Binoy Kumar Kuiti The study was conducted by . Utkal University vice-chancellor Chandi Prasad Nanda said the report offers a holistic understanding of Odisha’s PVTGs by combining ethnography, demography, nutritional anthropology, maternal and child health, menstrual hygiene, ethno-linguistics and socio-economic analysis to examine these communities amid rapid socio-cultural transformation.
