New Delhi, Oct 7 (IANS): Accelerating measures to eliminate tuberculosis (TB) in India by 2025, the Union government on Monday increased the monthly nutrition support to all patients of the deadly infectious disease to Rs 1,000 from the existing Rs 500.

Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare, J.P. Nadda announced several key initiatives aimed at enhancing nutrition support for TB patients and their household contacts.

The monthly nutrition support has been increased under the Ni-Kshay Poshan Yojana (NPY) to Rs 1,000 per month per patient for the entire duration of the treatment.

The move underscores India’s resolute commitment to end TB, five years ahead of the global target of 2030 as pledged by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2017.

"The government has also decided to introduce energy-dense nutrition supplementation for all patients with BMI below 18.5 and to permit expansion of scope and coverage of Ni-Kshay Mitra initiative under Pradhan Mantri TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan (PMTBMBA) to the family members (household contacts) of TB patients," Nadda said.

The Minister announced that all TB patients will now receive nutritional support of Rs 3,000 to Rs 6,000 under Ni-Kshay Poshan Yojana (NPY) -- benefiting 25 lakh TB patients in a year.

The introduction of Energy Dense Nutritional Supplementation (EDNS) would cover approximately 12 lakh underweight patients (BMI less than 18.5 kg/m2 at the time of diagnosis).

EDNS would be provided to all eligible patients for the first two months of their treatment.

"This move will cost the Government of India approximately an additional Rs 1,040 crore to be shared between the Centre and states on a 60:40 basis," Nadda said.

Further, nutritional support will also be provided to household contacts of TB patients. In addition to TB patients, Ni-kshay Mitras will adopt the household contacts of TB patients for the distribution of food baskets with a view to improving the immunity of the family members of TB patients. This would lead to a significant reduction in out-of-pocket expenses (OOPE) incurred by TB patients and their families, the Union Health Minister said.

"To date, Rs 3,202 crores have been disbursed to 1.13 crore beneficiaries through Direct Benefit Transfer under Ni-kshay Poshan Yojana," Nadda added.

India grapples with an alarming 0.35-0.4 billion TB infections and 2.6 million annual TB cases. Studies indicate a 5-10 per cent progression from latent to active TB disease, typically within 2 years post-infection. The new measures are expected to aid nutritional recovery, improve response to treatment and outcomes and reduce mortality due to TB in India.