ABSTRACT
This chapter examines how the COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated pre-existing health disparities for India's tribal populations, focusing on the Gond tribe of semi-urban Betul (Madhya Pradesh) and the Tharu tribe of rural Lakhimpur Kheri (Uttar Pradesh). Employing mixed-methods research (N = 140 households, NFHS-IV/V secondary data, binary logistic regression), we identify structural determinants of health vulnerability, including catastrophic out-of-pocket expenditures (OOPE) (32% prevalence), infrastructure gaps (only 4.5% PHC access), and the growing burden of non-communicable diseases (58% treatment costs). The findings underscore the urgent need for policies that address geographic and socioeconomic barriers to healthcare in tribal regions.
