India's Nutritional Offensive Against Tuberculosis
In a significant move to combat the world's highest tuberculosis burden, the Indian government is implementing a standardized, region-specific food basket program designed to provide crucial nutritional support to TB patients and their family members. This initiative comes as India recorded over 2.6 million TB cases in 2024, highlighting the urgent need for comprehensive treatment strategies that address the critical link between nutrition and recovery.
Regional Food Baskets: Local Solutions for National Health
The nutritional program intentionally relies on locally available, affordable, high-protein foods rather than expensive commercial supplements. Each region will receive baskets tailored to local dietary preferences and availability:
- Western region: Features jowar and bajra
- Eastern region: Includes parboiled rice and masoor
- Southern region: Contains peanuts and Bengal gram
- Northern region: Provides wheat and mustard oil
The complete food basket totals 18 kg and 81,000 calories for TB patients, with significant protein components including 4.5 kg of pulses and 4.5 kg of other protein-rich foods essential for tissue repair during recovery.
Expanding Support Through Ni-kshay Mitra Initiative
The Union health and family welfare ministry has directed all states and Union territories to adopt this revised nutritional food basket as a reference for the Ni-kshay Mitra initiative. According to Prof. (Dr.) Urvashi B. Singh, deputy director general of the Central TB Division, "Nutritional support to persons with TB and their family members/household contacts is a vital component of the Ni-kshay Mitra initiative."
Dr. Soumya Swaminathan, principal advisor for the national TB elimination programme, emphasized that the program has been significantly expanded to include family members of tuberculosis patients. "This expansion is crucial because the family members are often undernourished and are at a high risk of acquiring the TB infection due to their close contact with the patient," she explained.
The government has allocated ₹3,259.26 crore for combating TB in the 2025-26 financial year, underscoring the importance of this enhanced nutritional focus. Health experts have welcomed the initiative, noting that undernutrition and TB share a bidirectional relationship where undernutrition increases TB risk while TB worsens nutritional status.
Shruti K. Bhardwaj, chief clinical nutritionist at Zydus Hospitals in Ahmedabad, commented: "India's step to develop region-specific, protein-rich food baskets for TB patients is crucial for strengthening treatment outcomes. This initiative respects local food diversity while ensuring equity and cultural relevance."
The standardization aims to support equity, consistency, and nutritional adequacy across the country while allowing flexibility based on regional food diversity, representing a practical and sustainable approach to improving TB care outcomes nationwide.
