Ni-Kshay Poshan Yojana
Kartavya Desk Staff
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)
• 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.
• Additional funding: The government approved an additional allocation of ₹1,040 crores to support the increased nutritional needs.
• 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.
• 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:
• Ministry: Managed by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India.
• Origin: Launched in 2018 to digitally track and manage TB patients’ treatment, improve data collection, and facilitate targeted interventions.
• Aim: To achieve a TB-free India by 2025 by providing comprehensive support to patients, including nutritional and financial aid.
• 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
• 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.
• 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.
• Energy dense nutritional supplementation (EDNS): Specifically targets underweight TB patients (BMI <18.5 kg/m2) with supplementary nutrition to aid faster recovery.
• 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:
• TB elimination