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News: In India, TB remains a major public health problem. Government’s decision of doubling the direct benefit transfer to Rs 1000 per month in the Nikshay Poshan Yojana (NPY) for the entire duration of treatment and disbursing Rs 3000 at the time of diagnosis is a welcome step. Though, the NPY scheme needs some more improvements.
1. Tuberculosis (TB) is a bacterial infectious disease that most often affects the lungs.
2. Certain conditions like diabetes, weakened immune system, malnourishment, tobacco use can increase a person’s risk for tuberculosis disease.
3. As undernutrition contributes to more than a third to nearly half of new TB cases in India, a Nikshay Poshan Yojana (NPY) was launched in 2018 by Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
4. NPY is a centrally sponsored scheme, which provides financial support to TB patients, through direct benefit transfer, to help with their nutritional needs.
5. NPY needs some reforms like dedicated human resources, locally contextualised counselling material, provision for energy dense nutritional supplements.
6. India has also launched BPaLM regimen to combat Multidrug Resistant Tuberculosis (MDR-TB). BPaLM regimen consists of four drugs combination: Bedaquiline, Pretomanid, Linezolid and Moxifloxacin.
