Health Ministry increases nutritional support for TB patients to ₹1,000 per month

New Delhi: Union Health Minister J P Nadda announced several key initiatives aligned with the government’s commitment to achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) for TB elimination and enhancing nutritional support for tuberculosis (TB) patients. 

The most notable change is the increase in monthly nutritional support under the Ni-Kshay Poshan Yojana (NPY) from ₹500 to ₹1,000 per TB patient for the entire duration of their treatment.

Nadda detailed that the government has allocated an additional ₹1,040 crores to the NPY, aiming to provide comprehensive nutritional assistance to TB patients. With this enhancement, all TB patients will receive total nutritional support ranging from ₹3,000 to ₹6,000 over their treatment period. The minister emphasized that this increase will benefit approximately 25 lakh TB patients annually.

“The government has also decided to introduce energy-dense nutrition supplementation for all patients with BMI<18.5 and to permit expansion of scope & coverage of Ni-Kshay Mitra initiative under Pradhan Mantri TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan (PMTBMBA) to the family members (household contacts) of TB patients”, said Nadda. An estimated 12 lakh patients will be eligible for this supplementary nutrition during the initial two months of their treatment, significantly aiding their recovery.

In a further expansion of support, household contacts of TB patients will now also be covered under the Pradhan Mantri TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan (PMTBMBA). These individuals will be eligible for social support from the community, with Ni-kshay Mitras adopting their households to distribute food baskets. This initiative aims to improve the overall immunity of families affected by TB and reduce their out-of-pocket expenses.

Nadda noted that, to date, ₹3,202 crores have been disbursed to 1.13 crore beneficiaries through Direct Benefit Transfer under the Ni-kshay Poshan Yojana. These newly announced measures are expected to significantly enhance nutritional recovery, improve treatment response, and ultimately reduce mortality rates associated with TB in India.