Socio-cultural features and help-seeking preferences for leprosy and turbeculosis: a cultural epidemiological study in a tribal district of Maharashtra India

摘要

BackgroundIndia is a major contributor to the global burden of leprosy and tuberculosis (TB), which adversely affects the poorest tribal communities. Despite prioritisation by disease control programmes, programme performance for leprosy and TB in tribal communities continues to be a challenge. In addition to access to services and infrastructural limitations, socio-cultural concepts of illness causation and related help seeking (HS) rooted in distinct features of tribal culture need to be addressed to improve programme outcomes.