The support for TB patients is raised from ₹500 to ₹1,000 under the Ni-kshay Poshan Yojana (NPY) by The Union Health Ministry 

PM TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan: Social Support & Nutrition Aid for TB and Underweight Patients

• Household contacts of TB patients will receive community social support under the Pradhan Mantri TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan (PM TB MBA).
• India aims to eliminate TB by 2025, ahead of the global target of 2030.
• Energy Dense Nutrition Supplementation (EDNS) introduced for patients with BMI < 18.5.
• The initiative will benefit 25 lakh TB patients and 12 lakh underweight patients, costing the government ₹1,040 crore, shared 60:40 between the Centre and States.

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What is Ni-kshay Poshan Yojana?

• It is a centrally sponsored scheme under the National Health Mission (NHM).
•  Launched by:  the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare 
• Aim: To Support TB patients through a Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) of ₹500 per month for nutritional needs.
  • All notified TB patients are eligible for the scheme.
• Ni-kshay Mitras: Volunteers such as individuals, NGOs, corporates, and political parties adopt TB patients.
  • They offer support in terms of nutrition, supplements, additional investigations, and vocational support.
• E-Nikshay Platform: Developed by the Central TB Division in collaboration with the National Informatics Centre (NIC) and World Health Organization.
• It is a web-enabled system for TB patient management under the National Tuberculosis Elimination Programme (NTEP).
  • All TB patients, public or private sector, must be registered on the platform.

Performance of Ni-kshay Poshan Yojana (2023)

• Coverage Issues: Despite high numbers of notified cases, a significant proportion of beneficiaries are not receiving the financial support intended to aid their treatment.
• Need for Improvement: The consistent low increase in beneficiaries suggests a need for better program awareness, accessibility, and efficiency in fund distribution.
  • 2022: 2.4 million notified TB cases in India.
    • Only 1.6 million (66%) received at least one month’s payment under the Ni-kshay Poshan Yoja
  • 2021: Out of 2.1 million notified TB cases.
    • Only 62.1% received at least one payment.
  • 2020:62% of notified TB cases received at least one month’s payment.
• Geographical Disparities: Regions with high TB burden are experiencing low beneficiary payment rates, indicating challenges in program implementation and outreach.
  • Delhi:Highest TB burden: nearly 546 cases per 100,000 people.
    • Only 44% of beneficiaries received at least one payment.
  • Uttar Pradesh:Case notification rate: 218 per 100,000.
    • Beneficiary payment rate: 64%.
  • Madhya Pradesh: Case notification rate: 214 per 100,000.
    • Beneficiary payment rate: 82%.
  • Gujarat: Case notification rate: nearly 213 per 100,000.
    • Beneficiary payment rate: 63%

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About Tuberculosis

• It is an infectious disease caused by the Mycobacterium tuberculosis bacteria, typically affecting the lungs (pulmonary TB).
• Extrapulmonary TB affects other parts of the body, e.g., Gastrointestinal TB, Skeletal TB, Liver TB.
• Transmission: Through air when an infected person coughs, speaks, or sneezes.
• Tests for TB: Xpert MTB, RIF Ultra, and Truenat assays.
• Treatment: Common drugs include isoniazid, rifampin, and pyrazinamide. 
  • The BCG vaccine helps in prevention.
• Drug-Resistant TB refers to TB that does not respond to standard drugs. WHO classifies drug-resistant tuberculosis (DR-TB) into five types: 
  • Mono-resistance: Resistance to one first-line anti-TB drug 
  • Poly-resistance: Resistance to more than one first-line anti-TB drug, other than both isoniazid and rifampicin 
  • Multidrug resistance (MDR): Resistance to at least both isoniazid and rifampicin 
  • Pre-extensively drug-resistant TB (pre-XDR): A type of MDR TB that is resistant to a fluoroquinolone or a second-line injectable drug 
  • Extensively drug-resistant TB (XDR): Resistance to any fluoroquinolone, and at least one of three second-line injectable drugs, in addition to MDR 

India TB Report 2024

• Notified TB patients: 25.52 lakh in 2023 (up from 24.22 lakh in 2022).
• Case reporting: 67% from the public sector, 33% from the private sector.
• Treatment success rate for Drug-Resistant TB (DR-TB): 65%.
• Incidence increase: Estimated incidence of TB in 2023 rose slightly to 27.8 lakh.
• Mortality rate: Remained at 3.2 lakh.
• 2023 achievement: India met its target of initiating treatment in 95% of diagnosed patients.
• Drug resistance testing: 58% of diagnosed patients were tested for drug resistance, up from 25% in 2015.