This study was conducted in the year 1992 and analysed various issues of tribal women and children relating to demographic features, economic status, health status, dietary habits, nutritional levels and educational status.

Observations and Recommendations Motherhood and Childhood are unsafe due to various reasons such as superstitions, malnutrition, lack of medical and health facilities and environmental sanitation. Health statistics on infant and child mortality rates and morbidity rates indicate that and over 80% of deaths among infants and children occur before the 3rd year.

» Out break of epidemics is frequent and expensive interms of human life and the tribals are reluctant to go to the hospitals due to lack of amenities. The vaccines supplied were inadequate and even the available facilities could not be utilized due to ignorance.

» Given the low accessibility to health services as well as poor environmental sanitation, it is inevitable that communicable diseases, diarrhoeal diseases and respiratory infections take their toll on children's lives. While ill-health due to fever is very common especially during rainy season, tribals suffer from various serious ailments such as TB, Goiter, Malaria etc which are increasing in tribal areas. Vomiting and diarrhoea and consequent dehydration are causes for death among the infants and children. Skin diseases, especially scabies are prevalent.

» A major problem in tribal areas is lack of doctors in view of large number of vacancies. One suggestion to set right this problem is to start diploma courses in Medicine just as it is done in case of Engineering so that the diploma holders can serve at village level while graduate doctors can serve at taluk level hospitals.

» A dificiency in food and nutrient intake which coupled with repeated infection lead to malnutrition and poor health. In order to mitigate the deficiencies in their diet, the following steps can be taken.

» The tribals consume excess quantities of cereals whenever they have enough money, but neglect pulses, vegetables and oils. It is necessary to persuade them to increase the consumption of pulses and other foods by suitable reduction in the use of cereals at the time of plenty. Nutrition education through demonstrations and audiovisual aids may be taken up at the mandal level to bring this change.

» The high deficiency in the consumption of vegetables and fruits can be tackled only by encouraging them to develop kitchen gardens and poultry. Milch cattle development may be encouraged.

» The tribals do not show an aversion to any food items. This aspect may be utilized in devising generalized dietary patterns by supplying alternatively jowar, rice, ragi, wheat, red gram, green gram, horse gram etc., through daily requirement depots and also through contractors.

» In certain seasons of the year foodstuffs like mangoes, amla and certain leaves are available in plenty. The tribals may be educated to preserve them for use during the off season by drying and pickling. Deficiency of calcium may be made up to some extent by using dried leaves along with ragi.

» Lack of habit of thrift is the main draw back in tribal's economy. As they have no avenues for saving, the surplus amounts earned during the work season are wasted on excessive drinking and consequently almost all tribals suffer during the lean season for food. Schemes to save their earnings will be of great help in improving their nutritional standards.

» The education scenario in tribal population of Andhra Pradesh is a cause of great concern and requires careful area based planning with all out efforts to improve adult literacy, universal enrolment and better retention. Non-formal education centres need to be established in tribal hamlets, which do not have schools. It is also important to maintain contact with the small number of girls who reach upto high school level to use them as 'models' for other girls in the community.