Revamping Tuberculosis Treatment Through Improved Nutrition and Support Systems

Revamping Tuberculosis Treatment Through Improved Nutrition and Support Systems

Sub :Schemes

SEC: Health 

Why in News

The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has recently announced a significant increase in financial and nutritional support for tuberculosis (TB) patients. The doubling of the Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) under the Nikshay Poshan Yojana (NPY) from ₹500 to ₹1,000 per month, alongside a one-time ₹3,000 transfer at diagnosis and energy-dense nutritional supplements, aims to enhance treatment outcomes and alleviate the socio-economic burden on TB patients.

What is Tuberculosis?

Tuberculosis (TB) is an infectious airborne bacterial disease caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis.

TB commonly affects the lungs (pulmonary TB) but can also affect other parts (extrapulmonary TB)

Tuberculosis spreads from person to person through the air, when people who are infected with TB infection cough, sneeze or otherwise transmit respiratory fluids through the air.

Genome Size: Mtb’s genome consists of 4.4 million base pairs, far larger than other respiratory bacteria like Staphylococcus aureus (2.8 million) and Streptococcus pneumoniae (1.9-2.7 million). This extensive genome enables Mtb to produce a wide variety of proteins to evade immune defenses.

India faces a severe TB burden, with 3 million new cases annually and 3,00,000 TB-related deaths.

About Nikshay Poshan Yojana (NPY):

Nikshay Poshan Yojana provides nutritional support to TB patients in India to enhance treatment outcomes, initiated under the National TB Elimination Program (NTEP) by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.

TB patients receive a direct benefit transfer (DBT) of ₹500 per month for the duration of their treatment to cover nutritional needs. The DBT has been increased from ₹500 to ₹1,000 per month, covering the entire treatment period. Additionally, a one-time payment of ₹3,000 is provided at the time of diagnosis.

All TB patients notified on the NIKSHAY portal after April 1, 2018, are eligible for the scheme, including those already under treatment.

The scheme plays a key role in improving TB notification rates, ensuring early diagnosis and treatment while addressing undernutrition, a major contributor to TB in India.

By providing nutritional and financial support, Nikshay Poshan Yojana aims to reduce mortality and improve treatment adherence, particularly for vulnerable and undernourished populations.

The NIKSHAY-TB Notification incentive also encourages private healthcare providers to report TB cases, aiding government efforts in TB control and patient tracking.

Nikshay Mitra Reforms: The program’s coverage of vulnerable communities should be enhanced, and measures should be taken to eliminate stigmatizing practices, such as publicizing patients receiving food baskets.