Education And Health
The two most essential factors which have direct bearings on the welfare of the people are health and education. Education work is largely undertaken by the government and voluntary organisations in this youngest State of the North-East which has been widely covered.
However, health coverage is still a distant dream for the common man of Arunachal Pradesh. Although statistics show that Arunachal Pradesh has 403 Medical (Allopathic) Institutions, with the strength of 272 doctors, 4177 midwives and 40 nurses, as registered medical and paramedical practitioners, still general health care services has not reached the needy people.
The need of the hour is proper health education for the people of Arunachal Pradesh to help prevent many diseases. Because of lack of education, the local healing system is based on superstitions like ‘pooja’, in this culturally rich State.

Health Problems
The incidence of diarrhoea and all types of Gastro-intestinal tract infections claim a good number of lives in rural areas every year. No doubt, water is available in plenty, but safe drinking water is in shortage. No water filtration system or cleaning process is available during the rainy season paving the way for water-borne diseases.
Lack of sanitation is another cause for diarrhoeal deaths. Almost all of the rural population in far flung areas have practically no sanitation and dependable personal hygiene.
Promotion of health education among rural masses will be the best tool for preventive health.
The most common diseases of Arunachal are malaria, diarrhoea and tuberculosis which calls for special attention to curative as well as preventive services. These aspects should be top priorities for government as well as voluntary organisations working in this State. Change in the attitude of medical professionals is also one of the most important aspects in delivering effective curative health services.

Traditional Systems
The state is very rich in natural resources. Many knowledgeable people are using medicinal plants for different ailments. But this traditional practice is not documented. Proper training needs to be provided to the younger generations in this respect.
This can definitely strengthen the health services of the State with minimum cost.
With the ongoing activities of VHAI and other voluntary organizations, a movement towards creating awareness among the people has started. Our hope is that these strides will take us closer to our goal of "making health a reality for all the people of Arunachal Pradesh".

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