KOTTAYAM: The women of the Muthuvan community in Edamalakudy tribal panchayat deep inside the Munnar forest now enjoy better health thanks to the effective measures taken by the health authorities.
The pregnancy and successful delivery rates among them have increased after the authorities imposed strict control on the use of oral pills by the women to curb the menstrual cycle.
The girls used to consume the oral pills to avoid being confined to ‘Valapura’ (a custom among the tribal community in which the girls are forced to reside in an isolated makeshift home whenever they go through the mensus period).
According to the data from the community health centre, Devikulam, the women stopped using the pills after the government issued strict instructions to the medical shops in Munnar not to give them to the Muthuvan women. There were awareness campaigns also by the health department officials.
Dr V.V. Radha, block medical officer of the Chithirapuram community medical centre, told DC that the government regulation and the awareness programmes had helped in an increase in the pregnancy and successful delivery rates among the women.
“The abortion rates among the women were high previously. They were not aware of the health implications of using the oral pills,” Mr Darmendran, health inspector of the Devikulam community health centre, told DC.
From six deliveries in 2011-12, the rate increased to 57 in 2013-14 and 37 in 2014-15. The Edamalakudy tribal settlement consists of 1794 Muthuvan community members.
There are also many among the community members in the nearby areas of Marayur, Kanthalloor, Adimaly, Mankulam and Vattavada.
