India's Nutritional Strategy Against Tuberculosis
In a significant move to address India's massive tuberculosis burden, the government has launched a standardized yet region-specific nutritional support program for TB patients and their family members. This initiative comes as India recorded over 2.6 million TB cases in 2024, marking the highest global burden of the disease.
Regional Food Baskets: Tailored Nutrition Across India
The new approach involves creating protein-rich food baskets that leverage locally available and affordable ingredients specific to different regions of the country. According to officials and documents reviewed, the program intentionally avoids expensive commercial supplements in favor of traditional, nutrient-dense local foods.
The Western region's basket includes locally favored items such as jowar and bajra, while the Eastern region specifies parboiled rice and masoor. Meanwhile, the Southern region basket emphasizes peanuts and Bengal gram, and the Northern region's package contains wheat and mustard oil.
Professor (Dr.) Urvashi B. Singh, deputy director general of the Central TB Division, has directed all states and Union territories to adopt this revised nutritional food basket as reference for the Ni-kshay Mitra initiative while maintaining flexibility for regional food diversity.
Comprehensive Nutritional Support for TB-Affected Families
The program represents a major expansion of nutritional support, now extending beyond TB patients to include their entire households. Dr. Soumya Swaminathan, principal advisor for the national TB elimination programme, emphasized the critical nature of this expansion.
"This expansion is crucial because family members are often undernourished and at high risk of acquiring TB infection due to close contact with the patient," Swaminathan explained. The former WHO chief scientist added that the standardized regional diet eliminates the need for expensive commercial products that may contain excessive sugar.
The Ni-kshay Mitra food basket provides substantial nutritional support, totaling 18 kg and 81,000 calories for TB patients. It specifically focuses on affordable protein sources, including 4.5 kg of pulses and 4.5 kg of protein-rich foods, meeting the high protein demands essential for TB recovery and tissue repair.
Medical experts have welcomed the initiative. Dr. Shruti K. Bhardwaj, chief clinical nutritionist at Zydus Hospitals in Ahmedabad, noted that "undernutrition is a strong risk factor for TB, and improving dietary intake boosts immunity and recovery rates." She emphasized that leveraging affordable local foods makes the program both practical and sustainable.
The government has allocated ₹3,259.26 crore for combating TB in the 2025-26 financial year, with nutritional support becoming an increasingly vital component of the comprehensive TB treatment strategy.
