Health Minister unveils initiatives to boost nutrition support for TB patients

In alignment with its commitment to accelerate the achievement of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) related to TB elimination, Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare, J P Nadda, announced several key initiatives aimed at enhancing nutrition support for TB patients and their household contacts.

Underscoring India’s resolute commitment to end tuberculosis, J P Nadda announced that Nutrition support under Ni-Kshay Poshan Yojana (NPY) has been increased from ₹ 500 per month/patient to ₹ 1,000/month/patient for the entire duration of the treatment. Nadda said, “The government has also decided to introduce energy dense nutrition supplementation for all patients with BMI<18.5 and to permit expansion of scope and coverage of Ni-Kshay Mitra initiative under Pradhan Mantri TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan (PMTBMBA) to the family members (household contacts) of TB patients.”

All TB patients will now receive nutritional support of ₹ 3,000 to ₹ 6,000 under Ni-Kshay Poshan Yojana (NPY). While the enhancement of NPY support will benefit all 25 lakh TB patients in a year, introduction of Energy Dense Nutritional Supplementation (EDNS) would cover approximately 12 lakh underweight patients (BMI less than 18.5 kg/m2 at the time of diagnosis). EDNS would be provided to all eligible patients for the first two months of their treatment. “This move will cost the Government of India approximately an additional ₹1,040 crores to be shared between the centre and states on a 60:40 basis”, said Nadda.

Further, the Union Health Ministry has approved demand on expanding the scope of nutritional support to household contacts of TB patients. In addition to TB patients, Ni-kshay Mitras will adopt the household contacts of TB patients for the distribution of food baskets to improve the immunity of the family members of TB patients. This would lead to a significant reduction in out-of-pocket expenses (OOPE) incurred by TB patients and their families.

The Union Health Minister stated that to date, ₹3,202 crores have been disbursed to 1.13 crore beneficiaries through Direct Benefit Transfer under Ni-kshay Poshan Yojana.

These measures are expected to aid nutritional recovery, improve response to treatment and outcomes and reduce mortality due to TB in India.