Shillong: In a unique endeavour, traditional healers have been acting as a bridge between local remedies and modern medicine in the fight against tuberculosis in Meghalaya. Around 80 per cent of the population in the northeastern state live in rural areas with poor road connectivity and scarce healthcare facilities.
In such as setting, these healers have been serving as the first point of contact for healthcare services for a long time. Now they also act as the primary screening points for tuberculosis.
The Meghalaya government has roped in traditional healers to intensify screening, detection and treatment of the dreaded disease, making it possibly the first state to employ this innovative approach for TB elimination at the grassroots.
Having earned the trust and confidence of the locals in the hills over the years, these healers identify suspected tuberculosis patients and ensure that they reach the nearest primary health centre where they are screened for TB with portable X-ray machines and tested with NAAT machines.
For each positive diagnosis, the healers receive Rs 500 as an incentive from the state government.
In the Ri Bhoi district, Elington Syiem, a traditional healer, said, “Whenever villagers come to my clinic with ailments, I try to detect possible TB cases through verbal assessment.”
“We don’t directly tell them to go for TB screening because of the stigma attached to the disease that deters people from seeking treatment. Instead, we tell them to visit the nearest primary health centre for a health checkup,” he said.
Like Syiem, many traditional healers are mobilising vulnerable people to primary health centres for screening under the ongoing pan-India 100-day Intensified Campaign to Eliminate TB.
Recognising that many people first seek care from traditional healers before reaching healthcare facilities, the state has launched an initiative to engage these trusted community figures in the fight against tuberculosis, said Ramkumar S, the mission director of the National Health Mission.
“They are acting as a bridge between tradition and modern medicine, ensuring earlier detection and better adherence to treatment,” he said.
Ponting out that around 36 per cent of the population seek health services from these traditional healers, Ramkumar S said, “By leveraging their deep community trust, Meghalaya is proving that tradition and modern medicine can work hand in hand in the TB elimination drive.”
Deputy Commissioner of Ri Bhoi district Abhilash Baranwal said this approach aims to address and overcome several challenges such as poor telecom connectivity, difficult terrain and the hesitancy among people in seeking TB treatment due to the stigma attached to it.
“That several of these traditional healers have joined hands with us and are referring patients for TB testing is turning out to be a game changer in this fight,” Baranwal said.
These traditional healers also work towards raising awareness about the disease.
Of the more than 3,500 traditional healers in the state, 1,227 were trained for TB screening last year, said Dr Amica Joan Rynjah, a pulmonologist and assistant programme officer of the National Tuberculosis Elimination Programme (NTEP), Meghalaya.
“Traditional healers command a lot of respect in rural areas and they have their own herbal medicines for different health issues. The rural people rely on them more instead of resorting to modern medicine readily,” the officer said.
She said these traditional healers take a lot of pride in their system of medicine. “So, even getting 1,227 of them to come for training and then having them refer presumptive TB cases for modern diagnostic tests is a big achievement for NTEP,” Dr Rynjah added.
The 100-day TB Elimination Campaign is being implemented in five districts — East Khasi Hills, Ribhoi, East Garo Hills, West Garo Hills and South Garo Hills — where the burden of the disease is on the higher side.
In 2024, the programme notified 4,573 tuberculosis cases in Meghalaya. Since December 7, as many as 867 patients have tested positive for TB, Dr Rynjah said, adding that the TB death rate has been 5 to 6 per cent over the last four years and has been showing a decline recently.
Besides traditional healers, trained ASHA workers make door-to-door visits to identify presumptive TB cases. The government is also availing the assistance of self-help groups to make the drive a success.
“The self-help group network in Meghalaya is very strong. From among these self-help groups, one person is generally appointed as community gender health activist,” Baranwal said.
“They are not replacing the ASHA workers, but assisting them. They have become a voice in the self-help groups… They speak about TB, its prevalence and the importance of an early diagnosis,” he explained.
Additionally, the state has also been seeking help from celebrities and social influencers from the state to promote the anti-TB drive.
Currently, 10 social media influencers serve as TB ambassadors in Meghalaya, actively promoting health awareness through digital platforms such as Instagram and YouTube.
Besides, recognising the influential role of faith-based organisations in reaching out to communities, the All Faith Forum has been roped in to mobilise religious leaders and congregations in the fight against TB, particularly during the 100-day campaign.
