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Ni-Kshay Poshan Yojana

Source: PIB

 Context: Union Health Minister unveils key initiatives to boost Nutrition Support for TB Patients and their Families. Monthly support under Ni-Kshay Poshan Yojana increased from the existing ₹500 per month to ₹1000 per month for all TB patients.

Recent Changes in Ni-Kshay Poshan Yojana (NPY)

  1. Increased monthly support: Nutritional support under Ni-Kshay Poshan Yojana has been raised from ₹500 to ₹1,000 per month for all TB patients throughout the treatment duration.
  2. Additional funding: The government approved an additional allocation of ₹1,040 crores to support the increased nutritional needs.
  3. Energy dense nutritional supplementation (EDNS): EDNS introduced for underweight patients (BMI <18.5 kg/m2), covering approximately 12 lakh patients for the first two months of treatment.
  4. Expansion to household contacts: The Ni-Kshay Mitra initiative under Pradhan Mantri TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan will now also support household contacts of TB patients with food baskets to boost immunity and reduce out-of-pocket expenses.

 About Ni-Kshay portal:

  1. Ministry: Managed by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India.
  2. Origin: Launched in 2018 to digitally track and manage TB patients’ treatment, improve data collection, and facilitate targeted interventions.
  3. Aim: To achieve a TB-free India by 2025 by providing comprehensive support to patients, including nutritional and financial aid.
  4. Targets: Focuses on tracking TB cases, ensuring compliance with treatment, and reducing transmission rates through Direct Benefit Transfers (DBT) and other support measures.

 Schemes to counter TB in India

  1. Pradhan Mantri TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan (PMTBMBA): Focuses on community support for TB patients, involving “Ni-kshay Mitras” to provide nutritional and social support to patients and their families.
  2. Ni-Kshay Poshan Yojana (NPY): Provides nutritional support of ₹1,000 per month to all TB patients throughout the treatment period to enhance recovery and reduce out-of-pocket expenses.
  3. Energy dense nutritional supplementation (EDNS): Specifically targets underweight TB patients (BMI <18.5 kg/m2) with supplementary nutrition to aid faster recovery.
  4. Direct benefit transfers (DBT): Ensures financial assistance directly to beneficiaries’ bank accounts to cover treatment and nutritional costs, aiming to improve adherence to TB treatment.

 Insta links:

  1. TB elimination