Health & Nutrition Status in Tea Gardens of Assam

This book's manuscript has been adopted during the first author's doctoral dissertation under faculty of Medicine, Gauhati University, Assam, India. The study critically analyse the secondary literature and research studies on health and nutrition status among communities of tea gardens of Assam and attempts to provide a concrete roadmap for planning of programme intervention in the tea gardens, policy advocacy and also a way forward for further research. Among the major tea growing states in the country, Assam is the largest producer of Tea in India. But the working class in the tea gardens is perhaps the most exploited group in the organised sector of economy. Poor socio-economic condition, illiteracy, over-crowded and unhygienic living conditions in the residential colonies makes tea garden populations helpless to various communicable diseases and underfeeding. Different studies shows high prevalence of undernutrition, worm infections, skin infection, respiratory infections, including tuberculosis, filariasis, back pain and micronutrient deficiency disorders like anaemia were widespread among the tea garden labourers.