“We cannot afford to waste the medicine”: Herbal remedies for children provided by The Indian Herbal Therapy and Research Foundation – Kerala

The Indian Herbal Therapy and Research Foundation, founded by Mr. Mathews, has turned into a place of solace for many children with spastic and motor neuron diseases, including cerebral palsy. […]

“Although my consultation in Thiruvananthapuram started only a year ago, I have been providing herbal remedies for children affected by cerebral palsy, autism, and allied diseases for the past 20 years at Mannarkkad [in Palakkad], my native place,” Mr. Mathews said. […]

His treatment basically involves the application of medicines made from herbs collected from the Attappady forests of the Silent Valley. The herbs are made into medicines under the personal supervision of Mr. Mathews, who learnt this traditional system of medicine from his mother-in-law, Rangamma, a tribal healer.

The herbal remedy, coupled with a strict diet regimen, has provided relief for many children, Mr. Mathews said.

“We cannot afford to waste the medicine. So I am very particular about my patients following the diet and medicine regimen strictly. That, along with the mercy of God, can only cure these diseases,” he said. […]

In recognition of his work, the Thiruvananthapuram district panchayat is planning financial assistance to children from below-the-poverty-line families who seek treatment from Mr. Mathews. This was announced by district panchayat president Remani P. Nair at the felicitation.

“I have also been approached by the Department of Ayush of the Government of India, for associating in their research on herbal treatment. I am planning to construct a hospital at Mannarkkad where I would also like to give training in herbal remedies to neurologists, gynaecologists, and physiotherapists. Only through them can we bring the benefits of herbal remedies to the lakhs of suffering children,” Mr. Mathews said.

Source: “Holding out hope for ailing tiny tots”, The Hindu, Thiruvananthapuram, August 31, 2011
Address: https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Thiruvananthapuram/holding-out-hope-for-ailing-tiny-tots/article2414953.ece
Date Visited: 25 December 2020

[Bold typeface added above for emphasis]

“It was assumed that tribal people have same health problems, similar needs and hence the uniform national pattern of rural health care would be applicable to them as well, albeit with some alteration in population: provider ratio. The different terrain and environment in which they live, different social systems, different culture and hence different health care needs were not addressed.”– Abhay Bang, Chairman, Expert Committee on Tribal health (2018 Report of the Expert Committee on Tribal Health) | Learn more >>
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Context | Health care for communities identified as “poorest of poor” (PVTGs)

India is designated as the melting pot of so many ethnic groups dwelling at the same time under the common umbrella of a unified nation. Among these varied ethnic groups, some of them have been categorized under article 342 (1) of the constitution and have been labelled as Scheduled Tribe. In the post independent scenario, several schemes for upliftment of STs were run by the government but it was found that all these groups did not come up to the same level of development. Some of them were at much lower strata than others. Thus, in order to ensure the development of these communities, they were, for the first time in 1975-76 (during 5th Five-year plan) and thereafter-in 1993, identified as poorest of poor among the STs and were designated as Primitive Tribal Groups and thereafter constitution of India renamed and declared as Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs). Out of the 75 particularly vulnerable tribal groups, 13 are residing in Odisha; they are becoming increasing vulnerable due to loss of their customary habitat. The health troubles of rural areas especially in the tribal areas need a unique concentration, because the tribal people have typical health problem.

Source: 2019 PhD thesis (Abstract) by Jayanta Kumar Nayak titled “Health Seeking Behaviour and Health Care Services among the Hill Kharia Mayurbhanj District Odisha”, Department of Anthropology, Central University of Orissa
URL: http://hdl.handle.net/10603/257651
Date Visited: 21 May 2025

Learn from M S Swaminathan – a world renowned scientist – how biological diversity contributes to public health, people’s livelihood and environmental security in addition to food security: his call on fellow citizens to use and share resources in a more sustainable and equitable manner; outlining the long journey from the 1992 Earth Summit to a commitment to foster inherited knowledge through India’s Biodiversity Act and Genome Saviour Award; an award intended to reward those who are “primary conservers” – guardians of biological diversity!

More about the work of his foundation which “aims to accelerate use of modern science and technology for agricultural and rural development to improve lives and livelihoods of communities.” – www.mssrf.org | Regarding the issues of food security raised above, and the nutritional value of indigenous grains, seeds and millets, read an in-depth report that concludes that “the tribal food basket has always been diverse and nutritious” >>

Up-to-date reports by Indian experts and journalists

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What does it mean to be Indigenous?

Indigenous Peoples can be identified according to certain characteristics:

They are politically and socially marginalized.

Most importantly, they self-identify as Indigenous Peoples.

They share an ancestral link with those who inhabited a country or region before they were colonized or before other peoples became dominant.

They have a strong link to particular territories and the surrounding natural resources.

They have distinct social, economic or political systems, which they are resolved to maintain and reproduce.

They have a distinct language, culture and beliefs.

There are more than 5,000 different Indigenous Peoples around the world comprising 476 million people – around 6.2% of the global population. They are spread across more than 90 countries in every region and speak more than 4,000 languages.  | Learn more (Amnesty International) >>

Source: “INDIGENOUS PEOPLES’ RIGHTS” by Amnesty International
URL: https://www.amnesty.org/en/what-we-do/indigenous-peoples/
Date Visited: 10 May 2025

Learn more on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, their Languages & linguistic heritage & Tribal culture worldwide >>

Reports in the Indian press | List of periodicals included in this search >>