Lending a helping hand to eliminate TB as Ni-kshay Mitra

Subject : Science and Technology

Ni-kshay Poshan Yojana-

Launched in: 2018 by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, as part of the National TB Elimination Programme (NTEP).
Under the NTEP, India is committed to eliminating TB by 2025, 5 years ahead of the SDG goal of eliminating TB by 2030.
Under the scheme, every TB patient in India, seeking treatment in both government and private sector hospitals is eligible for a direct benefit transfer(DBT) of Rs 500 per month to support their nutritional needs.
The major risk factor driving TB in India is undernutrition. More than 0.9 million new cases are attributable to undernutrition, accounting for nearly 34% of all cases.

The Ni-kshay Mitras-

Under this, Ni-Akshay Mitras can adopt and care for TB patients.
Ni-kshay Mitras are volunteers who could be individuals, NGOs, cooperative societies, corporates, and even political parties.
They commit to helping TB patients through nutritional support, nutritional supplements, additional investigations and vocational support.
Within three months of its launch, more than 52,000 Ni-Akshay Mitras have registered.