Union Health Ministry has announced a significant increase in nutritional support for tuberculosis (TB) patients under the Ni-Kshay Poshan Yojana. The monthly nutritional support has been doubled from ₹500 to ₹1,000, reflecting the government's commitment to improving health outcomes for TB patients during their treatment.

KEY HIGHLIGHTS

  • Increased Financial Allocation:
    • An allocation of ₹1,040 crore has been approved for the Ni-Kshay Poshan Yojana, aimed at providing nutritional support to all TB patients.
  • Coverage Expansion:
    • All household contacts of TB patients will now be included under the Pradhan Mantri TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan, ensuring they receive social support from the community.
  • Direct Benefit Transfer:
    • As of now, ₹3,202 crore has been disbursed to approximately 1.13 crore beneficiaries through the Direct Benefit Transfer system under the Ni-Kshay Poshan Yojana.
  • Enhanced Nutritional Support:
  • The scope of nutritional support is being expanded to include food baskets distributed by Ni-Kshay Mitras to household contacts of TB patients, thereby improving the overall immunity of family members.
  • Energy Dense Nutritional Supplementation:
    • The introduction of Energy Dense Nutritional Supplementation will target around 12 lakh underweight patients (those with a Body Mass Index below 18.5 kg/m²). This supplementation will be provided for the first two months of treatment
  • Overall Nutritional Support:
    • TB patients will now receive total nutritional support ranging from ₹3,000 to ₹6,000 under the Ni-Kshay Poshan Yojana.

ABOUT NI-KSHAY POSHAN YOJANA

  • Launch: NPY was launched by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoH&FW) in April 2018 as a centrally sponsored scheme under the National Health Mission (NHM).
  • Type: It operates as a Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) scheme under the National Tuberculosis Elimination Program (NTEP) in India.
Health Ministry Enhances Support For TB Patients explained for UPSC

Objectives:

  • To provide nutritional support to TB patients to improve treatment outcomes and overall health.
Beneficiaries: All notified TB patients are eligible for the scheme.

ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA & IMPLEMENTATION

  • TB patients notified to the government on or after April 1, 2018, including those already undergoing treatment, qualify for the financial incentives.
  • Patients must be registered on the NIKSHAY portal to be eligible for benefits.

Implementation:

  • The scheme is operational across all states and Union Territories (UTs) in India.

ABOUT TB

  • Tuberculosis (TB) is an infectious disease primarily affecting the lungs, caused by the Mycobacterium tuberculosis
  • It spreads through the air via droplets released when an infected person coughs, sneezes, or spits.
  • TB is both preventable and curable with appropriate medical treatment.