INTRODUCTION

India has the world’s highest tuberculosis (TB) burden, with an estimated 26 lakh people contracting the disease and approximately 4 lakh people dying from it every year.

TB usually affects the most economically productive age group of society

The National Tuberculosis Elimination Programme (NTEP), previously known as Revised National Tuberculosis Control Programme (RNTCP), aims to strategically reduce TB burden in India by 2025, five years ahead of the Sustainable Development Goals. In 2020, the RNTCP was renamed as the National TB Elimination Program (NTEP) to emphasize the aim of the Government of India to eliminate TB in India by 2025.

SLOGAN – TB MUKT BHARAT-TB HAREGA DESH JEETEGA

NEED

The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) is implementing an ambitious National Strategic Plan with the goal to achieve SDG End TB targets by 2025.

The challenge of tuberculosis requires a multi-sectoral response to address the social determinants like nutritional support, living and working conditions, and an increase in access to diagnostic and treatment services. Although the efforts of the government are yielding significant results, the community and the institutions in the society can play a critical role in filling gaps and addressing social determinants, thereby contributing to the national goal.

For effective engagement of the community in the path towards ending TB in India, MoHFW is implementing the “Community Support to TB patients – Pradhan Mantri TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan.

Objectives of The Initiative:

1. Provide additional patient support to improve treatment outcomes of TB patients (NI-KSHAY MITRAS)

2. Augment community involvement in meeting India’s commitment to end TB by 2025

3. Leverage Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) activities

NI-KSHAY MITRA (DONOR)

• One who can support by adopting health facilities, blocks/urban wards/districts/states for accelerating response against TB to complement government efforts, as per the district-specific requirements in coordination with the district administration.
• Donors can be cooperative societies, corporates, elected representatives, individuals, institutions, non-governmental organizations, political parties and partners
• Only individual Ni-kshay Mitra can choose the patients from a given health facility. The other Ni-kshay Mitras have to choose the entire geographical unit (blocks/urban wards/districts/States)

NOTE – SUPPORT PROVIDED BY NI-KSHAY MITRAS is in addition to the regular support provided by NTEP

” Free diagnostics, free drugs and Ni-Kshay Poshan Yojana (aims to support every Tuberculosis (TB) Patient by providing a Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) of Rs 500 per month for nutritional needs) provided by National TB Elimination Programme (NTEP) to all TB patients notified from both public and private sector ”

The type of additional assistance that may be provided by the Ni-Kshay Mitra to on-treatment TB patients who have given consent for support shall include the following:

a. Nutritional support

b. Additional investigations for the diagnosed TB patients

c. Vocational support

d. Additional nutritional supplements

Note – The minimum period of commitment for providing additional support to the TB patient shall be six months

BENEFITS/EXPECTED OUTCOME

• This activity aims at increasing awareness among the public regarding tuberculosis and the involvement of the community in supporting the treatment cascade shall also help in the reduction of the stigma.
• The provision of additional support to the TB patient shall also result in the reduction of the out-of-pocket expenditure for the family of the TB patient.
• Ultimately improved nutrition for the TB patient shall result in better treatment outcomes

India TB Report 2022

In India, for the year 2021, the prevalence of all forms of TB was 312 per one lakh population. The highest prevalence was in Delhi with 747 per one lakh while the lowest was in Gujarat with 137 per lakh one population.In 2021, tuberculosis cases in India increased by 19 percent compared to the previous year.

In India, the mortality rate due to all kinds of tuberculosis increased by 11% between 2019 and 2020.

Malnutrition, HIV, diabetes, alcohol, and tobacco smoking are the comorbidities that impact a person suffering from TB.

About 61 percent of patients suffering from TB were male and the females constituted 39 percent who were put on treatment. 6 percent of the notified patients were in the paediatric category.