Nutritional Status and Its Determinants Amongst the Sabar Community

The aim of this project was to understand the nutritional status of the Sabars and how it is linked with determinants such as drinking water, livelihood, forests etc. Attempt was made to understand the steps being taken by the state to address the nutritional status which is generally found to be poor in tribal communities and the implementation of the interventions being taken by the government. The Sabar community is a ‘Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group’ and one of the most marginalised tribal groups in the country with poor socio economic and health indicators.

This photo essay reflects on the nutritional status and its determinants among this community and the need to develop a comprehensive approach towards addressing malnutrition. It seeks to emphasise the importance of determinants that impact on health and nutritional status. If the state is to take any serious efforts towards combating the issue of nutrition and food security in the community, it needs to take a holistic approach and address the underlying and structural causes of food insecurity and hunger. (Funded by IDRC Canada through the Achutha Menon Centre for Health Science Studies, Trivandrum, India).