Access, Awareness and Utilisation of Maternal Healthcare Services Among Tribal Women: Evidence from Mananthavady Taluk of Wayanad District, Kerala

Maternal wellbeing among tribal women is influenced by healthcare access, income, location, cultural practices, health awareness and support from family members. This study examines maternal health, care-seeking practices and women’s views of maternity services in Mananthavady Taluk, Wayanad district. The study is descriptive and empirical and uses both primary and secondary information. The study follows a descriptive empirical approach. Questionnaire responses and field enquiries provided primary information from 100 tribal women, while the secondary material came from relevant studies, reports and health-related publications used in the project. The sample includes Paniya, Kurichiya, Adiya and Kuruma women. The results show comparatively high use of institutional care: 86 per cent of respondents reported hospital delivery and 96 per cent reported the availability of a hospital or health centre in their area. At the same time, maternal health awareness remains uneven, with 58 per cent reporting a medium level of awareness, 22 per cent high awareness and 20 per cent low awareness. Traditional beliefs continue to influence pregnancy-related practices among 56 per cent of respondents. Family support is also uneven: 33 per cent reported high support, 48 per cent average support and 19 per cent below-average support. The study further records seven deaths associated with pregnancy outcomes, of which five involved babies and two involved mothers. The findings indicate that improvement in physical access alone is insufficient. Maternal health policy in tribal areas requires culturally sensitive communication, stronger tribal ASHA outreach, nutrition and anemia prevention, early pregnancy registration, reliable referral transport and focused support for women in remote settlements.