Health problems among tribals
Considering the poor infrastructure and access to health facilities, the differences in the health status of people in tribal areas and non-tribal areas are significant. The UNFPA project document identifies the following as the most common health problems among tribal communities:

• Malnutrition among children
• Anaemia among women
• Parasitic infections and seasonal diseases like diarrhoea, dysentery and ARI
• High incidence of falciparum malaria as causes of maternal morbidity
• Health care services are sought only in advanced stage of illness since tribal people rely on local systems of medicine provided by Vaidus or Tantris

Superstitions, traditional beliefs and customs influence health care service seeking behaviour of the people further aggravating their health status resulting in high infant and maternal morbidity and mortality.

Contraceptive usage
With regard to contraceptive usage, data from the Reproductive Child Health (RCH) survey indicates the following:

• Contraceptive prevalence rate is around 56%
• Prevalence of permanent methods come up to 40%
• Female sterilisation is about 39%
• Spacing methods are a mere 10%
• Unmet need for contraceptives indicate 25% for spacing and 11% for limiting
• Side effects and complications due to contraceptives emerge with the family planning users

Why Thane?

The Thane project is being seen as a demonstration project that would help us in scaling up the interventions once their efficacy is established.