The adivasi regions generally have limited access to mainstream healthcare. Few qualified doctors are willing to be stationed in these remote regions. Before government intervention, prevalent diseases were treated by a rich culture and knowledge of traditional health care. Vanantharam, an institution promoted by LAYA, legitimizes their practice of herbal based medicine to complement prevailing mainstream health care systems by:
- Promoting Herbal Based Health Care at local level
- Promoting standardisation of herbal based medicines
- Facilitating 'Herbal Gardens'
- Developing medicinal plant nurseries
- Training young adivasi men and women in herbal medicine preparation for local practice
- Refresher Training Programmes for Community Health Practitioners (CHPs)
- Up-grading skills of community 'Traditional Health Practitioners'
- Undertaking special training programmes for NGO personnel and students
- Accompanying Traditional Health Practitioners Networks
- Responding to specific health care needs of adivasi women
- Conducting herbal exhibitions for widespread awareness
- Managing a licensed pharmacy for marketing of medicines
